Relationships and Road trips
by jemb
Summary: A semisequel to If Your World falls Apart I'll Be There not essential you read it but it's a good story so go on, you know you want to. The relationship between Booth and Brennan develops as they tackle a case in New York State
1. Chapter 1

_**I had so much fun writing "If your world falls apart I'll be there" that I decided to write kind of a sequel which would let me further develop the realtionship between Brennan and Booth. **__**Thanks to all those who read my last story and reviewed it. Reviews motivate me and help me write better stories so please take the time to send me your comments for my new work.**_

CHAPTER ONE

PART ONE

Brennan rolls over in her bed and looks at the clock. 5.15 in the morning. She flops back over onto her back and stares at the ceiling. She feels empty inside and even the thought of going in to work to doesn't rouse the usual feelings. Closing her eyes she pictures the very reason she feels so empty. Booth. Special Agent Seely Booth. The man who used to irritate the hell out of her but now the man she can't stop thinking about.

When her life was threatened he was at her side protecting her and making her feel safe. And she can't deny that something changed between them. There were moments and there were feelings. Nothing actually happened but perhaps that was because they both held back, afraid to cross a line. Brennan sighs heavily and gets up. _I'm awake now might as well go to work _she thinks.

Forty five minutes later Brennan is dressed in black pants, a blue top and accessorised with her usual chunky necklace and earrings. She finishes her coffee and jumps in her car to go to the Jeffersonian. At least she knows the roads will be quiet.

PART TWO

Special Agent Seely Booth strolls through the Jeffersonian Medico-Legal lab and admires the recently completed repairs. Work took longer than expected but no one seems to mind as many improvements have been made. With a new case to handle and Dr Brennan's team fit and reunited, Booth finally feels like things are back to normal. Well, as normal as they can be after what happened just over a month ago.

It all seems like a dream now; the lab explosion, the attempts on Brennan's life by his ex girlfriend and the change in his relationship with the anthropologist (not that anything else has happened since). He had taken Brennan home to her own place the night Tessa took matters into her own hands and since then things seemed to have reverted back to the way they were before. Work kept Booth busy and with no new cases requiring Brennan's help he has only seen her a few times this last month. And those times weren't exactly good. They were mostly at Tessa's trial when they both had to give evidence against her. The woman had the guts to plead not guilty until half way through the trial when she realised she wouldn't get away with it and guilt seemed to consume her. Booth shakes his head when he thinks about Tessa in jail right now. _She won't cope in there._

Reaching Brennan's office, Booth sees she is sitting in deep concentration, her blue eyes focused on the computer screen in front of her.

"Hey Bones." He walks in and flops down into the chair opposite her desk. "Whatcha doing?" he asks.

"Reviewing the last chapter I wrote for my book." She replies without looking away from the screen. "What do you want?" she asks, her tone almost accusatory.

"It's nice to see you too." Booth says sarcastically. Brennan realises how she sounded and she immediately feels guilty. She has consciously been avoiding Booth for the last month afraid to confront what she felt during the week Tessa was terrorising her.

"I'm sorry." She quickly apologises. "How are you?" she asks. "And what do you want?" she smiles.

"I'm fine." Booth leans forward in the chair. "And I need your help." He passes Brennan a memory stick to attach to her computer. Brennan knows she's been lucky not to have been forced to work with Booth lately but she knew it would happen sooner or later. She just wishes it were later. Her head is still a mess and having him so close doesn't help. He has an intensity about him that makes Brennan nervous. She concentrates on the screen and her eyes widen when she sees the images.

"Several skeletal remains were found in the back woods in New York State." He tells her. "Local police are of the opinion that the unidentified victims were sacrificed by a cult. The FBI field office thinks it's a run of the mill serial killer." Booth explains.

"And I'm supposed to work from this?" Brennan leans forward in her chair and studies the image on the screen. All she can see is a blurry decomposed body in some woods.

"Actually, this is just to get you in the mood." Booth grins from his position in the chair opposite her.

"Oh no." Brennan shakes her head and stands up, sorting some papers on her desk.

"Oh yes" Booth grins cheekily. "Pack your bags; we're taking a road trip."

"Booth, do I look like I have time for a road trip?" she asks with exacerbation in her voice.

"You never have time for anything Bones." He tells her as he stands up. "You gotta lighten up." He picks up a bone from her desk and starts to twist it between his fingers.

"I'm plenty light." She retorts badly. When she sees him playing with the bone she leans forward and snatches it from his hand. "This is not a toy." She holds it up. "This is part of a civil war soldier's foot." She points the bone at him.

"Sorry Bones." Booth shrugs. "We leave in two hours." He tells her, that stupid grin still planted on his face.

"I don't have a choice do I?" her shoulders sag in defeat.

"Nope, but come on, a few days away from here might do you some good." _It might do us some good _he thinks to himself. As Booth heads out the door to go run a few errands before they leave, Brennan is left standing at her desk, a frustrated look on her face.

PART THREE

"Hey Tempe." Angela has been looking for her friend around the lab for a while.

"Hey Angela." Brennan replies.

"Was that the gorgeous Agent Booth I saw here a while ago?" she asks.

"I don't know about gorgeous but yes, it was Agent Booth." Brennan replies. _I'm lying I'm lying, he is gorgeous_

"And?" she presses.

"And nothing." Brennan tells her. "We have a new case."

"Ooh, I'm only back at work a few days and we get an FBI case." Angela is excited. She never thought she would be excited to come back and draw dead people's faces but after two weeks in the hospital and two more at home doing nothing she got fidgety.

"I may be fun for you but not for me." Brennan sighs. "I have to go to New York State with Booth."

"Honey, there's nothing wrong with that. You've been avoiding him too much anyway." Angela perches on the edge of the desk.

"I have not." Brennan denies quickly.

"Yeah, so when, apart from today, was the last time you saw him?" she asks.

"Just the other week."

"The trial doesn't count." Angela reminds her.

"I've seen him outside of the trial. He was here two weeks ago."

"So in a month you've seen him like five times?" Angela asks. "The poor guy is probably going crazy. You know how he feels about you."

"Booth and I, we're just friends."

"I don't think so Sweetie. You need to make up your mind." Angela warns her. "He won't wait forever."

PART FOUR

With Angela's words still ringing in her head Brennan heads for the airport. She's already a little late having been held up in a meeting with Dr Goodman. _I hope Booth isn't mad_. Only expecting to be away for a couple of days, Brennan has brought her smaller carry-on bag with the bare essentials. If she can get a parking space quickly she can get to the terminal and check in by three fifteen.

Brennan squeezes her car into a space in the long stay parking lot and fumbles to pull the key out the ignition as her cell rings.

"You're late." Booth's voice emits from the phone.

"I know. I'm sorry. I got held up." She tells him.

"Where are you?" he asks.

"Just leaving the parking lot." She tells him. "I'll only be a few minutes." She insists.

"Okay, I'm checked in and waiting for you." Booth reminds her.

"Okay, okay." She is a little flustered as she steps out her car and pulls her carry-on bag with her. She snaps her phone shut and stuffs it in her jeans pocket before slinging her bag over her shoulder and grabbing her purse and backpack containing her laptop.

Inside the airport, Booth paces the floor anxiously. Brennan only has a couple of minutes to check in or she'll miss the flight. He glances at his watch again, deciding whether to call her or not when a familiar voice rings out.

"I'm checking in. Dr Temperance Brennan." Brennan slaps her ID on the counter for the girl behind the desk to check.

"You're just in time Dr Brennan." The girl says. "Your boyfriend over there was getting worried." She nods at Booth who is making is way over.

"He's not my boyfriend." Brennan states.

"Oh." The girl smiles and as soon as Booth joins them she launches into full flirt mode; batting her eyelids, smiling and sending 'I want you' glances his way.

"Could you have taken any longer Bones?" Booth complains.

"I'm sorry. Next time I'll just walk out of a crucial funding meeting." She glares at him. Already she knows this is going to be one of those trips.

"Agent Booth?" The girl at the counter smiles at him. "Check in has closed and I'm pleased to say we've upgraded you, and your friend…" she doesn't sound too pleased at that part. "To first class." She flashes Booth a bright white smile and he leans on the desk, flirting back, just to annoy Brennan.

"Thanks, that's really sweet of you." Booth leans in to see her ID. "Tiffany." He winks and takes Brennan's elbow to lead her away from the desk.

"You are a real piece of work." Brennan mutters just quiet enough for Booth to miss.

Booth makes his way down the aisle of the plane. The stewardess shows him and Brennan to the first class seats Tiffany upgraded them too.

"Enjoy your flight." She winks at Booth before going off to help more passengers. _Is it just me or are far more women flirting with him than ever before?_ Brennan thinks.

"You want the window seat?" Booth asks Brennan. She nods and as she moves forward Booth slips her bags off her shoulder. Surprised at the sudden removal of the weight she turns her head. Booth flashes her a cheeky grin then lifts her bags over his head to store in the overhead compartment. Once she is settled in her seat and both their bags are stored away Booth takes the seat beside her.

It doesn't escape Booth that Brennan is acting strangely. And he knows exactly why. They became very close during the ordeal with Tessa and they haven't talked about it since. He isn't sure what she's feeling but he knows what he is. Since he first met her she irritated him and they clashed far too often. But somehow that didn't turn him off. He just began to find her more and more interesting and he wanted to spend all the time he could with her. Only because he was with Tessa he couldn't admit these feelings. It's a whole new ball game now though. Only Brennan doesn't seem to be playing.

Brennan sits staring out the window for most of the flight. She replies to Booth's questions with one word answers and only looks at him when she has to. She can feel Booth's eyes burning into her but she resists every urge to meet his eyes for fear of what she might not be able to control. For this reason, Brennan feels like this flight is the longest she has ever taken. Her neck muscles are tensing up from her head being turned but she'd rather that than have to talk to Booth about a subject she is very uncomfortable with.

After a while Booth realises Brennan really doesn't want to speak to him and whilst he finds that somewhat insulting he can understand. What happened between them was odd and it was never talked about at the time so now that a month has passed she's probably feeling very awkward and his behaviour can't be helping. So he decides to back off. She'll come to him when she's ready…he hopes.

When the plane lands, Brennan finally brings herself to stop staring out the window. As they exit the plane she senses a change in Booth and figures he got the message by her pretty much ignoring him the whole flight. He's back to being regular Booth which she finds much easier to deal with. No more standing closer than he should, staring into her eyes or watching her. Just Seely Booth as she knew him all those months ago when they first started working together.

PART FIVE

Booth's FBI rented SUV speeds down the highway towards the small town of Jamesville.

"Why do you always get to drive?" Brennan asks suddenly.

"Because this is FBI business and you're just here to help." Booth knows his answer is weak.

"That's why I never get to drive?" Brennan turns slightly in her seat so she is facing his more. "That's a really bad excuse Booth." She tells him.

"How about you're not insured?" Booth offers. "And I'm a better driver." He adds cheekily.

"There's nothing wrong with my driving." Brennan states. Booth chuckles a little. "What is that supposed to mean?" Brennan asks.

"Nothing, it's just…" he trails off. "Look here's our exit." He pulls the SUV down the exit ramp, temporarily distracting Brennan from talk about her driving. The truth is he's just jealous that her publishers shower her with gifts.

"I haven't forgotten about what you said." Brennan tells him as they hit the smaller roads. "I'm choosing to ignore it for now because I've already got a headache and I don't want to make it worse." She turns her head and stares out the window at the scenery.

"Fine by me." Booth replies. "I can feel a headache coming on myself." He mutters under his breath.

"I heard that." Brennan sulks from the passenger seat. She doesn't see the smile on Booth's face now that Brennan seems to be back to the person he knows_ and loves_.

PART SIX

The two investigators arrive inJamesville in the late afternoon. The streets are quiet and Booth has no trouble parking the SUV right outside the local sheriff's office. He then leads the way into the Sheriff's Office. It feels all too familiar and Booth is thrown back a few months to when he took Brennan to Aurora in Washington State. The Sheriff took a liking to her, along with every other single guy in the tiny town.

"Agent Booth, thanks for coming." Sheriff Underwood greets and shakes Booth's hand.

"This is Dr Temperance Brennan." Booth introduces the two and watches as the Sheriff's eyes widen.

"Sheriff." Brennan nods in greeting as she shakes his extended hand. She notices the Sheriff shakes her hand for longer than he did Booth's. _Not again_ she thinks. _Just like Aurora._ Only then, Booth had to point out to her that all the men were hitting on her.

"Have the remains been brought back to town?" Brennan asks.

"No, we didn't know what to do with them so we secured the site and left it for you." Sheriff Underwood explains. "I don't want to seem like I'm rushing you folks but we should really go straight out to the site now if you want to get anything done before dark." Sheriff Underwood explains. "But if you're too tired from the travelling?"

"We're fine." Brennan answers for the both of them. "Shall we go?" she backs towards the door, anxious to get stuck into the work.

The site itself has been taped off by the original FBI investigators. Booth lifts up the yellow tape tied around trees so Brennan can duck underneath. Once through Booth and the Sheriff follow. After removing the tarps placed over the bodies which were secured by rocks, Brennan circles the remains and Booth can see her mind working. She's analysing the body positions, the clothing fragments and the various items strewn around the site. He stays back and advises the Sheriff to do the same.

"She likes her space." He adds. Sheriff Underwood nods and backs up to where Booth is standing.

"Hey Booth." Brennan is in a crouched position and she lifts her head to call on him.

"Yeah Bones?" he steps forward.

"Do you have the sample bags?" she asks. "I'm going to overnight a few samples to my lab. I'll collect the rest of the remains for analysis tomorrow." Booth digs into his pocket and pulls out a couple of plastic bags which can be sealed. He passes them to Brennan who proceeds to lift small samples of bone, dirt and anything else she finds interesting.

"You done Doc?" Sheriff Underwood asks when she stands up and brushes the dirt off her knees.

"For now." She tells him.

"Good, it's getting dark and these woods ain't too friendly in the dark."

"How so?" Brennan asks.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." The Sheriff shakes his head and starts walking the path back to the jeep. Booth shrugs when Brennan looks at him with a questioning expression on her face. She finally follows Booth on the walk back to the jeep. _This seems like a strange place_ she thinks.

PART SEVEN

After Brennan has sent the samples she collected by overnight mail, the sheriff takes her and Booth back to their SUV which is still parked outside the Sheriff's office.

"You folks got somewhere to stay?" he asks.

"We're booked into the Sunshine Lodge." Booth tells him. The Sheriff smiles widely.

"Nice place. Annie who runs it, she's a fine woman." He puffs out his chest indicating his relationship with Annie is more than just friends.

"Great, uh Bones, lets go." Booth places his hand on her middle back and pushes her towards the car. She gives the Sheriff a small wave goodbye and heads for the SUV.

Booth pulls the SUV into the parking lot of the Sunshine Lodge. It looks like a nice little place but it could do with some work. The walls are painted white but the dirt is starting to show and the gardens look like they used to be well cared for but haven't been attended in a while. Brennan is first out the car and she moves around back and opens the trunk to get their bags out. She hands Booth his bag when he appears beside her then she reaches in for her bag and the backpack. After slinging them over her shoulder she moves to close the trunk but Booth already has his hand on it ready to push it down. He nods and closes the trunk as she steps away. As they walk from the car to the reception area, a tall broad shouldered woman with fiery red hair appears in the door.

"Are you folks Dr Brennan and Agent Booth." She calls to them.

"We are ma'am." Booth calls back.

"I'm Annie. Sheriff Underwood called and said you were on your way." She steps towards them and holds the door open. "Come on inside and I'll see you to your rooms." Booth hangs back and lets Brennan walk through first. He then follows Annie into the reception area. It looks just like a cottage living room. A fireplace is burning over by the far wall and there are two armchairs with quite high backs placed either side. A small table sits between them housing some books and magazines. To their left sits a large oak desk. Annie strides over and almost throws herself into the wooden seat behind it. She opens a black leather book and runs her finger down the page.

"Agent Booth, I have you in Sunflower." She says. "And Dr Brennan, Lilly." She reaches under the desk and pulls out two keyrings. She then rises and come around the desk again. She hands one key with a sunflower shaped keyring to Booth and the other, with a lilly shaped keyring to Brennan.

"What's the second key for?" Brennan asks. She notices there are two keys on the keyring.

"I like to lock the doors at night. You can never be too safe." Annie explains. "But I know most folks like to be out and about later so the second key unlocks the front door. I lock it at nine in the evening." Booth glances at his watch and sees it is already seven. He and Brennan haven't eaten either.

"Are you folks hungry?" Annie asks as if she read Booth's mind.

"Well…" Brennan starts.

"I have some dinner made if you're interested. Good home cooking." She nods and turns on her heels, beckoning for Booth and Brennan to follow. Brennan shrugs and follows Annie. Booth isn't far behind.

PART EIGHT

Up in her room in the lodge, Brennan finally gets to kick off her shoes and she feels immediate relief. She flops down on the soft bed and stares up at the ceiling. A fan is slowly rotating sending down a cool breeze. Brennan isn't warm and the night is cooling the earlier warm temperatures. Rolling off the bed she looks around the room for a switch or a cord to pull to turn it off. Maybe it's because the room is not brightly lit or maybe she's really tired but she can't see any switches or cords on the wall.

As Brennan crawls on the floor looking for a plug or another switch she hears a knock at her door. Rising clumsily she yanks open the door and puffs a stray lock of hair which has fallen onto her face.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" Booth asks cheekily.

"No." Brennan replies. She stands aside and lets him in. Only now does she actually notice how Booth looks. Wearing jeans and a hooded sweater he looks so different to FBI Seely Booth with the expensive suits. He seems more down to earth, casual…_and cute._

"What's up?" Brennan asks.

"I just wanted to see your room." He says before he realises how it sounds. "I mean, last time we were on a case away you got a terrace." He quickly adds.

"No terrace here." She gestures around the small room.

"It's nice though." Booth says. "My room is covered in sunflower wallpaper and there are flowers everywhere." He sulks.

"Not your style?" Brennan asks.

"You know it isn't." he winks. Brennan had lived with him in his bachelor pad for that week during what he's now referring to Tessagate. "Anyway, it's late so I'll see you for breakfast in the morning?" he asks.

"Sure." Brennan replies as she walks him towards the door. "Night Booth." She adds as she closes the door on him. His room is right next to hers and she hears him enter. A moment later there is the muted sound of the television going on. As Brennan is about to continue her search for the switch to turn off the light she hears her cell ringing. Fumbling around she finally locates the cell in her bag.

"Brennan." She gasps.

"Oh sweetie, did I interrupt you and Booth?" Angela asks. She is grinning at her end of the phone at the idea that Temperance and Booth might actually hook up.

"Angela." Brennan scolds.

"Sorry, I had to ask." Angela replies. "How's Jamesville?"

"Small and strange." Brennan tells her. "I've overnighted some samples to you but I'm not able to collect the rest of the remains until tomorrow." She explains.

"Well, at least we'll have something to do." Angela replies. "Are you going out?" she asks.

"Angela, not all of us have your stamina." Brennan informs her friend. "I'm going to bed."

"And Booth?" Angela asks.

"I don't know, probably the same." Brennan replies.

"Don't waste this opportunity sweetie. Like I said, he won't wait forever."

"Yeah, yeah. So you keep saying." Brennan rubs her brow with her free hand.

"With Tessa out the picture you've got a second chance here honey." Angela waits for a response but Brennan remains silent. "Okay, so take it slow then." She says cheerfully. "Just don't say I didn't warn you when he runs off with someone else because you won;t make up your mind."

"Goodnight Angela." Brennan signs off. After placing her cell back in her bag, Brennan sets about getting changed for bed. It'll probably be a long day tomorrow so she wants to get plenty of sleep. But sleep doesn't come easily. Her mind whirls with images and thoughts of Booth and a restless night ensues.

PART NINE

Brennan is already seated at the table in the dining room of the lodge when Booth comes down. He thought he might beat her here but she must have been up early.

"Morning Bones." He greets her cheerfully as he slides into the seat beside her. She has a mouthful of cornflakes and greets him with a wave instead of words. Perhaps Annie had seen him come in or perhaps she is just psychic. Either way, the red head appears the moment Booth is settled to take his breakfast order.

"What can I get for you sugar?" she asks. "We have eggs, bacon, potatoes, fried tomatoes…"

"A little of everything would go down really well Annie." Booth smiles at her. The older woman nods and disappears back to the kitchen. Booth turns back to Brennan who has finished her mouth of food.

"Sleep well?" he asks.

"Yes." Brennan lies. She isn't about to tell Booth she spent half the night tossing and turning over him. "You?" she asks in return as she digs her spoon into the bowl again.

"Bed was a little too hard for me." He comments. "But I've slept in worse." He recalls his days in the military and the nights he spent sleeping on rough rocky ground in the middle of nowhere in winter.

"What time are we meeting Sheriff Underwood?" Brennan asks.

"Eight thirty." Booth tells her. He glances at his watch and sees they still have an hour. He is about to ask Brennan something else when his attention is stolen by the smell of fried food coming his way. Annie appears with a loaded plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fried tomatoes and mushrooms and some toast to finish it off.

"Thanks Annie." Booth grins and picks up his knife and fork.

"How can you eat all that this early?" she asks, stunned at all the food. Booth shoves his fork into the food and stuffs a giant mouthful in his mouth. He grins as he chews at Brennan's disgusted face.

"Mmmm." He mumbles as he chews. Brennan rolls her eyes and turns her attention to her bowl of cornflakes. _How can he eat all that and look so good?_ She wonders.

Twenty minutes later Booth sets down his fork and leans back in his chair, resting his hands on his full stomach.

"I can't believe you ate all that." Brennan stares at the empty plate.

"It's going to be a long day, I need energy." He states.

"I…" Brennan doesn't know what to say so she ends up shaking her head. "We should head in to meet Sheriff Underwood." She says as she rises from her chair. Booth stands up too and looks around.

"Hey Annie!" he calls out. The woman appears from the kitchen, a little red faced from the heat. "Great breakfast." Booth smiles. Annie seems to have taken a liking to Booth and his compliments make her blush more. Booth waves her goodbye and follows Brennan back upstairs to collect their bags for the day.

PART TEN

Sheriff Underwood is waiting outside his office when Booth and Brennan walk down the street. They chose to leave the SUV at Sunshine Lodge since the Sheriff was driving them to the site and the lodge is only ten minutes down the road. Brennan hikes her backpack further up her shoulder and nods at the Sheriff when he waves them over.

"Morning folks." He greets them.

"Hey Sheriff." Brennan smiles.

"I've got the jeep all gassed up and ready to go." He tells them. He holds an arm extended out towards the jeep as a gesture for Booth and Brennan to get in. Brennan slides into the back seat and carefully lays her backpackon the seat beside her. Booth sits up front and grills the Sheriff about the town; How many people live here? How many missing persons' reports they get? Anyone strange been around?

"The only strange thing around here Agent Booth is those devil worshippers up in the woods." He states.

"Devil worshippers?" Brennan leans forward in her seat, intrigued.

"A few years ago this guy came to town, about thirty years old I guess. He built a cabin deep in the woods and he only ever came to town for supplies, usually once a month." The Sheriff explains. "Pretty soon he started coming into town with, I guess you would call them followers."

"You think it's a cult?" Booth asks.

"I don't think Agent Booth, I know." Sheriff Underwood sounds very sure. "Over the last year or so we've been finding animal carcasses up in the woods and they didn't die of old age."

"It could be bears." Brennan offers.

"How many bears do you know that can handle a knife?" the Sheriff asks. "These animals had their throats cut and they bled out, only there was never any blood where the animals were found."

"Sheriff, are you suggesting this 'cult' is sacrificing animals and now people?" Booth asks.

"I ain't suggesting, I'm certain of it."

"The FBI field office believes these remains to be victims of a serial killer known to have frequented the area." Booth tells him.

"The FBI can believe what it wants. They don't live here with those weirdos."

"They're not weirdos Sheriff." Brennan speaks from the back. "Their beliefs may seem strange and their practices not acceptable by our standards but…" Booth cuts her off.

"What Dr Brennan is trying to say is, perhaps we should refer to them as something other than weirdos until we know whether or not they have been involved." Booth says diplomatically. He turns to look at Brennan and she shoots him a death glare. He just shrugs and smiles. He knows that Brennan gets more annoyed when he doesn't react to her.

Before they know it the Sheriff pulls the jeep to a stop at the ranger station. This is as far as they can go by car. The rest of the way they walk like they did yesterday. Brennan sets herself up with her bags and passes the flattened boxes she will use to carry the remains out of the woods to Booth. The Sheriff leads the way along a path which now looks familiar to Brennan. Suddenly Brennan stops. She looks up into the branches of a tree at a piece of fabric twisted between the smaller branches. She stops and digs around in her pocket for tweezers and a plastic bag. Booth stops beside her and watches as she reaches for the fabric. She stretches up but she doesn't quite have the height.

"Here." Booth steps forward and takes the tweezers from her hand. He effortlessly retrieves the fabric and drops it into the bag Brennan is holding.

"Thanks." She isn't sure whether to be grateful for his help or insulted that he thinks she couldn't have done it on her own. Booth shrugs and moves back over to join the Sheriff.

"What's that for?" Sheriff Underwood asks.

"It could be evidence." Brennan tells him. "Perhaps from one of the victims clothing."

"But it just as likely isn't." the Sheriff states.

"Better to collect it than not." Brennan smiles and continues walking, moving past the Sheriff and Booth.

After walking for about twenty minutes the Sheriff's radio crackles and a message comes through. He walks away from Booth and Brennan to take it. They see him shake his head and say something into the radio then head back over to them.

"Do you remember your way to the site?" he asks. Brennan nods. "There's a disturbance in town I'm needed at." He explains. "I'll go back, sort this out then come back and pick you up at the ranger station in say, a couple of hours?" he asks.

"Sure." Booth replies. "Just don't forget about us." He adds. The Sheriff smiles and backs down the trail.

Booth and Brennan soon reach the site where the remains were found. The tape is still in place and the remains are still protected from wild animals by tarps pinned down with rocks. Brennan puts her bags down and sets about removing the tarps and analysing the scene in more detail. Booth has nothing much to do but wait on Brennan, handing her bags and placing the remains in the boxes.

An hour into the work and Booth's senses are alerted. He stops moving and listens.

"You hear something?" Brennan asks.

"Shhh." Booth removes his gun and moves over towards Brennan. He feels incredibly protective of her after what happened with Tessa. The last thing he wants is for her to get hurt again. She stops moving and listens for what he hears. The cracking sound of twigs snapping is getting closer.

"Could be those cult weirdos." Brennan says sarcastically.

"Bones." Booth scolds. She stands up and looks around.

"I don't see anyone." She states.

"That doesn't mean they aren't out there." Booth is on high alert, turning slowly in a circle.

"I think you're over reacting a little there Booth." She doesn't realise why Booth is reacting so strongly.

A sudden loud noise behind Booth spins him around and Brennan snaps her head around. Booth aims his gun directly at the offending individual; a tall man in his early thirties wearing jeans and a khaki jacket with a rucksack slung over his shoulder and a gun clearly clipped to his belt.

"Don't move." Booth states. "Who are you and what are you doing out here?"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thanks for the reviews. It's nice to see some readers of my first story came back to read this one. Lots of BB fluff to come so keep reading.**_

CHAPTER TWO

PART ONE

The strangers hand hovers close to his gun but he doesn't reach for it, mainly because some guy has a gun aimed at him. As the man takes in the situation a smile crosses his face at the same time as a scowl plants itself firmly on Brennan's.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Brennan demands. She stands with her hands on her hips, glaring at the man Booth has his gun aimed at.

"Nice to see you too Tempe." The man smiles wider but Brennan's face remains hard as stone. "Uh, you can put the gun down, I'm not a threat." He turns his attention to Booth who glances over at Brennan, confused.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't let him shoot you?" she asks the man angrily. Booth guesses that this guy wronged Brennan in the past and she's still stewing about it.

"Come on Tempe, the past is the past." He smiles. Booth is anxious. He needs to know if this guy is still a threat.

"Bones?" Booth asks her. She gives him a reluctant nod and Booth lowers his gun but still looks wary.

"So, this your new guy?" the man asks Brennan.

"This is Special Agent Seely Booth, FBI." Brennan introduces. "Booth, this is Dr Daniel Harman." She waves her hand between the two as an introduction.

"What brings you up into the woods?" Booth asks interrogation style.

"The Starlights and an internet report claiming they're involved in human sacrifices." Daniel tells him as he looks over at the remains.

"Starlights?" Booth asks.

"The cult based a few miles from here." Daniel explains.

"Daniel is a psychologist. He studies cult behaviour. You could say he's an expert." Brennan explains to Booth.

"Why the gun?" Booth asks.

"Bears or crazy cult people." He shrugs. "It's licensed." He adds. Daniel takes a few steps towards Brennan. She remains in her spot, her arms crossed protectively but also defiantly across her chest.

"I'm surprised to see you babe." He lets slip a familiarity and Booth picks up on it, a feeling of jealousy bubbling.

"You don't get to call me that." She states. "Not any more."

"Sorry." Daniel smiles. "I thought you were working in Washington DC?" he asks.

"I am." She replies.

"But you're in New York State because…" he encourages more than a short answer.

"Special assignment." She replies.

"Those remains?" Daniel asks.

"What else?" Brennan retorts.

"You're mad at me."

"Of course I am."

"Don't be mad Tempe"

"Why not?"

Booth feels like he is watching a tennis match. Brennan and Daniel are snapping back at each other.

"Woah, guys. Okay so I'm getting the idea that you two know each other." Booth interrupts. "Quite well." He adds with a flash of his eyebrows. "But can we save the banter until later. There's work to be done." He reminds Brennan why they are there. She glares at Daniel then turns around and drops back to her knees to examine and retrieve the remains.

"So, you staying in town?" Daniel asks Booth.

"Yeah." Booth replies.

"Where?"

"It's none of your business." Brennan stands up again this time looking flustered and very angry. Booth wonders just what it was Daniel did to piss Brennan off so much.

"Awe Tempe, it's been two years. Haven't you gotten over it?" he asks in a jovial voice.

"Gotten over it!" Brennan shouts. "Gotten over it!" she repeats as she walks towards him. Booth is getting concerned about her reaction to this guy. _What did he do?_

Brennan stands right up to Daniel, her hands planted firmly on her hips. He stands a few inches taller than her. Brennan glares at him but Daniel remains unfazed.

"God Tempe, you look good." He reaches out to touch Brennan's shoulder but she slaps his hands away.

"Don't touch me." She says through gritted teeth. Booth decides to step in and cool the situation down. He places himself between Brennan and Daniel, facing Daniel.

"I think you need to back off." He says. "Take a walk, whatever." The two men's eyes meet and Daniel tries to read what's in Booth's head but his eyes don't give it away. _You've hurt her, I already hate you._ Daniel looks at Booth then peers around him to Brennan who is standing behind Booth fuming.

"Okay, I'll leave you two love birds alone." He smiles which annoys Booth and his facial expression lets Daniel know that. The man backs away.

"I'll see you around Tempe. I'm not going anywhere for a while." He calls as he walks back in the direction he came.

Booth remains where he is, watching Daniel go until he is out of sight. Then he turns to Brennan.

"What the hell was that all about?" he asks.

"None of your business." She snaps.

"Some guy comes along, gets you this mad and I have to break you apart. I think it is my business." Booth states. Instead of biting back like she normally would Brennan stays silent then turns her attention to the remains in the dirt. _I really don't want to discuss this with him_.

"Are you just going to ignore me?" Booth asks.

"I have work to do." She replies, her voice much softer. Booth sighs and realises she isn't going to share anything with him right now. She hears the heavy sigh he emits and feels guilty. Booth is a friend, _or more, _and he did have to step in. _Maybe he deserves to know_ she wonders.

"Later." She adds after a moment of silence.

"Okay Bones." Booth replies. He goes back to watching her work which she does in near silence for the next hour until it's time for them to go back to the ranger station.

PART TWO

Brennan sits at a work station set up in the local doctors office/morgue. She has the bones laid out on the table, tagging and preparing them to be sent to her lab along with her initial findings. As she works, she hears her cell phone buzz.

"Hey Angela." She answers. Caller ID identified her friend as the caller.

"Hey sweetie, how's it going?" she asks. The sigh Angela hears prepares her for a long call. "Uh oh, what's he done now?" Angela asks.

"Who?"

"Booth."

"It's not Booth." Brennan states._ There's a surprise._ Angela isn't going to like what Brennan has to say. "I had a run in with someone."

"Someone?"

"Daniel." Brennan sighs. The silence on Angela's end is deafening.

"What the hell is he doing out there?" she demands when she recovers from the shock.

"There's a cult based out here in the woods, the Sheriff believes they're behind the murders. Daniel's researching them and Booth and I bumped into him when we were collecting the remains." Brennan can feel a headache coming on.

"Is he alive?" Angela asks

"Who?"

"Daniel."

"Of course." Brennan replies. "We just exchanged a few heated words."

"Is that all?"

"It could have been worse but Booth sent him away." Brennan explains.

"How sweet." Angela coos.

"Angela, this is not sweet. This is serious."

"I know but you're only going to be there for a few days. I'm sure you can avoid him."

"Not now that he knows I'm here." Brennan explains. "You know what he's like, all charming and everything." _Booth reminds me of him sometimes. Like when he uses those puppy dog eyes and killer smile to get me to do what he wants._

"Honey, you have every right to be pissed at Daniel. The man was cheating on you for practically your whole relationship." Angela painfully reminds her.

"You don't need to remind me Ang." Brennan sighs. "Anyway, did you get the samples?" she asks.

"We've analysed them and I can upload the findings." Angela tells her. Brennan taps at the computer beside her and Angela sends the findings.

"I'll check this over." Brennan says.

"Tempe, try not to let Daniel get to you. You always deserved much better than him…like Booth." She adds.

"Angela." Brennan doesn't even want to think about that right now. Far too many nights have been spent thinking about him and what could have happened if she'd let it.

"Okay I'll back off for now but Tempe sweetie, I care about you. I want you to be happy and Booth makes you happy."

"Angela." Another sigh from Brennan.

"Fine, call me later." Angela signs off, worried about Brennan. Brennan hangs up contemplating Angela's words. _Booth does make me happy. But he also makes me mad, frustrated, angry and nervous_.

Brennan is shaken from her thoughts by the very man they are about.

"Hey, you want to go get some lunch?" he asks. He stands in the doorway, his hands stuffed into his jeans pockets.

"I'm not hungry." Brennan replies.

"Well looking at that would make anyone lose their appetite." Booth gestures to the decomposed remains. His stomach has strengthened somewhat having worked with Brennan for a while but he still gets squeamish at some sights.

"It's not that." She replies softly. _Why do I keep opening up to him?_

"Daniel Harman?" Booth ventures. Brennan nods. "You were close?" he probes.

"You could say that." Brennan replies.

"What changed?" Booth asks.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it was the women he was sleeping around with." Brennan shrugs.

"He cheated on you?" Booth asks. _Why would anyone cheat on her? I'd never cheat on Bones._

"For eight months." She adds. _God, why does this information keep flowing out my mouth?_ She wonders. She never shares this much with him. Booth walks over to her side and sits on the edge of the table, making sure he doesn't disturb the bones.

"You deserve better." He tells her. His hand slides across the table and covers hers. Her eyes lift up to meet his. "Someone who would treat you right." _Like me_ he thinks. The intimacy freaks Brennan out and she abruptly stands up.

"You said something about lunch?" she asks as she draws her hand back. Booth once again backs off. He knows he's pushing her every time he makes a gesture but he knows if he does nothing she won't be the one to make a move. Still at the back of his mind he worries about pushing her too far.

Lunch for Brennan is a soggy salad, bread roll and diet soda from a local store. For Booth it's a burger, fries and soda. To eat, they sit at the bottom of the steps leading down to the community park with the sun shining down. Brennan finds herself watching Booth as he stuffs the fries into his mouth followed by bite after bite of burger.

"Seriously Booth, how do you eat food like that and stay in shape?" Brennan asks.

"I works out." He simply says. "A lot." He adds before stuffing the last of the burger in his mouth. Brennan gawks at him. She only has to look at a burger and she piles on the pounds. She glances at her watch.

"I should get those Bones tagged and sent to the lab." Brennan stands up.

"I should go too. I'm meeting with the Sheriff, he's got some missing person's lists to show me." Booth stretches and stands to join Brennan.

"Hey Booth." Brennan catches him as he turns to go to the Sheriff's office. "I want to go up to the Starlight complex." Brennan announces.

"Today?" Booth looks surprised.

"Why not?" Brennan asks. She doesn't plan on staying here any longer than necessary. "We might as well find out what's going on up there." She tells him.

"Okay, meet me at the Sheriff's office when you're done." Booth tells her. Brennan nods and heads off in the direction of the doctor's office/morgue.

PART THREE

In the sheriff's office, Booth presses the send button on the fax machine to send the missing persons' information to the Jeffersonian. It might help with the identification of the remains Brennan is sending.

"Dr Brennan and I want to up to the Starlight Complex this afternoon."

"I wouldn't advise it." Sheriff Underwood says.

"Sheriff?" Booth asks.

"They don't like visitors." Sheriff Underwood states. "Ain't too friendly."

"I'm sure we can handle it." Booth tells him. "If you can give me directions we can find our own way." He suggests. This seems to please the Sheriff. He happily writes down the directions and provides Booth with a map.

"Just mind and be back in town before dark. Like I told you before, those woods are not a good place to be after dark. Strange things happen."

"I'll keep that in mind Sheriff." Booth tucks the map and directions into his jacket pocket and heads to the door.

Brennan arrives at the sheriff's office as Booth exits.

"Hey Bones, you ready to go?" he asks as he jogs down the steps.

"I just sent the remains to Angela for further analysis. So far we're definitely looking at two individuals, one male and one female. Both are in their late teens to early twenties."

"There are several missing persons' reports for both men and women in that age range." Booth tells her. "They're mostly people from out of town. I faxed them to Angela." He adds. "You got a cause of death?" Booth asks.

"I found a lot of cut marks on the bones. There was no trauma to the skull." She states. It's hard to tell exact cause of death until we get the analysis back on the cut marks and find out what weapon was used but I'd hazard a guess at stabbing."

"Well I'm sure the squints will work it out." Booth smiles. "We should go before it gets any later. Sheriff says it's a half hour drive and at least an hour's walk to get to the Starlight complex." Booth pulls out the car keys and starts walking towards the rented SUV parked on the street.

Two hours later Booth and Brennan spot the Starlight Complex through some trees. It looks like a ramshackle hut with bad design and construction. But it's large and fenced off and obviously fulfils its purpose.

"I wonder if anyone is home." Booth asks.

"Let's go see." Brennan stalks ahead of him and Booth runs to catch up.

"Do you have a death wish?" he asks. "Sheriff says these people aren't too friendly. I don't think the blunt approach will work." Brennan stops and glares at him before carrying on walking.

"Okay, we'll do it your way Bones." Booth keeps pace with her and soon the near the entrance gate to the complex. It then becomes apparent that the money not spent on construction has been spent on security. There are several surveillance cameras on the property. One situated right above the gate.

Booth steps forward.

"Hello." He calls. He glances up at the camera which slowly moves and focuses down on him. "Hello, anyone home?" he asks. "We came to talk." He states. Brennan walks away from him and starts to look around the fence. Booth notices and turns to call her back.

"Bones, will you get back over here." He shouts in a whisper. She pays no attention to him and keeps walking around. "Bones." He calls again. She seems intrigued by something over at the fence. Giving up when she ignores him he turns back to the camera.

"So, does anyone feel like talking?" Booth asks. It appears that no one is but then the front door creaks open a little. Booth's head snaps to the left when he catches sight of a window being lifted.

"Uh Bones." He calls out a warning. She looks over at him and sees him reaching for his gun. She backs up from the fence, wary because Booth is on high alert. "I think we should perhaps…" Booth's warning is interrupted by gunshots. Brennan feels a sting on her arm as she dives to the ground. Booth shoots back at the complex as he runs over to Brennan.

He grabs Brennan's arm with his free hand and helps her to her feet as the shots keep ringing out. He drags her towards the safety and shelter of the trees. Finding a large wide oak tree Booth pulls Brennan behind it and flattens his back against the tree. He then wraps his arms around Brennan and pulls her close against him, her back pressing into his chest. Brennan shivers when she feels Booth's breath on her neck.

After a minute or so Booth realises the shots seem to have stopped now that they are further away from the complex.

"You okay?" Booth asks breathlessly. He lets Brennan go and she turns around to face him. Still feeling the sting, Brennan lifts her hand to her left arm and when she brings it back she sees the deep red colour of blood. "Oh God Bones." Booth gasps. "Let me see." He pulls her jacket off to expose her arm. Brennan grimaces as the fabric brushes over the wound. Booth takes a moment to gently examine it and he sighs with relief.

"It's just a graze." He tells her. "Not deep at all." Brennan looks down at her arm and the graze. _I've had worse_. She recalls El Salvador.

"Why the hell were they shooting at us?" she asks. She shifts her gaze between Booth and her arm.

"They obviously don't like visitors." Booth replies. "Or they have something to hide." He digs around in his jacket pockets. He finally pulls out what he's looking for; a handkerchief. "It's clean." He flashes a smile as he ties the handkerchief around the graze on Brennan's arm. She winces as he pulls it tight.

"Thanks." She sighs. As Booth secures the makeshift bandage, Brennan hears a noise. "Booth." She whispers as she pulls her jacket back. He looks up and listens.

"They're looking for us." He says. "Come on." He grabs her right hand and they start running into the woods.

Some time later as the sun is going down, Booth and Brennan appear to have lost the Starlights but they are not in a very good situation.

"Booth, it's getting really dark." Brennan reminds her partner.

"I know." He says as he turns in circles.

"Are we lost?" she asks. Booth stops and turns to face her, hands on waist.

"Of course we are not lost." He says.

"We're lost." Brennan stops walking and finds a log to sit down on. "Booth, its cold and we have no idea how to get back to the car." She tells him. Booth walks over to Brennan and stands looming above her. She tugs at her thin jacket to highlight her point.

"I'm sorry. I thought we would have made it back to the car by now." He apologises.

"It's fine Booth. It's not your fault." Brennan wraps her arms around her chest. He looks at her sitting on the log shivering and he feels guilty and concerned for her.

"Okay, so right now we have two choices." He says. "We keep walking and hope that we find the car."

"I vote number two." Brennan states.

"You don't even know what it is yet."

"I don't care."

"Fine. Then we stay here, build a fire and wait until light."

"Are you kidding?" Brennan asks.

"You agreed already."

"Fine." Brennan sulks. "I hope you know how to start a fire without a match." She tells him.

"I used to be in the military Bones, of course I know." He laughs of her suggestion. "Wait here." He tells her. She nods and as she bounces her legs to circulate warmth Booth goes off to collect some firewood. He returns armed with lots of dry wood and kindling. Brennan watches as he stacks the wood just right so a fire will burn well if he can light it.

He then constructs a device from a couple of pieces of wood which he can use to create a spark to light the fire.

Ten minutes later Booth is nursing a small flame. He feeds it kindling and a few minutes later the larger sticks have caught fire. Booth then adds some thicker logs which will burn for hours. He has a stack of wood at his side to keep the fire going all night.

"See, I told you I could do it." Booth sounds like a kid who has just proven something to his parents. Brennan moves away from the log and sits herself close to the fire. Booth leans back against the log and watches her intently as she warms her hands then sits back on her heels, still shivering.

"Still cold huh?" Booth asks. He pats the ground in front of him between his legs. Brennan pauses a moment as she contemplates the move. But her need to be warm overcomes all her issues and crawls over and sits down, leaning into him so her back rests on his chest. He opens out his jacket and pulls her in, closing the jacket around her. "Better?" he asks. Brennan nods and finds herself relaxing into Booth. The warmth from his body is flooding through her and making her sleepy. That is until she starts to analyse the situation. Booth feels her tense up and he knows exactly what's going through her mind. _She wants to be here but she's afraid. _Booth tightens his arms around her and leans his head down.

"It's okay Bones." He whispers. As he pulls back he plants a gentle kiss on her head. Brennan seems to relax again. He settles back to keep an eye on the fire as Brennan drifts into a peaceful sleep. The last thoughts she has are about Booth and how with his strong arms wrapped around her, she feels safe, protected and totally at ease.

Booth's eyelids are heavy and he can feel them falling closed. The fire is still burning though not as bright and it's very late. Brennan is asleep in his arms, her breathing regular and rhythmic. He doesn't want to fall asleep in case the Starlights are still looking for them but he is getting very tired. Just as his eyes drift closed he hears the distant snapping of twigs on the forest floor indicating someone or several someones are out in the woods. With senses on high alert he gently shakes Brennan to wake her.

"Hey Bones, wake up." He whispers. She shifts positions and drags her eyes open. "Wake up." He repeats.

"What's going on?" she asks.

"There's someone out there." He whispers. She sits forward and Booth reaches into his jacket and pulls out his gun. The two scramble to their feet and look around in the dark for whoever is out there. Brennan tugs on Booth's jacket sleeve and he turns to look at what she has seen. Through the dark of the woods there appear to be about a dozen people in light coloured robs with hoods carrying flame torches with long handles. Booth crouches down and starts to throw dirt on the fire to put it out.

"I don't think we want them to see us." He says. He then signals for him to come with her as they creep closer to the activity. The Starlights come to a stop about a hundred yards from Booth and Brennan's current position and form a circle. The two investigators creep closer to the action. From a vantage point behind some trees and rocks Brennan and Booth are witnesses to what can only be described as some kind of ritual.

The robed individuals plant the torches into the ground and lay out what looks like a sheet. They then begin to chant indecipherable words. One of the individuals steps into the centre of the circle and raises his arms. He turns around in a circle then as Brennan and Booth watch motionless and in silence he lowers his hood. When Brennan sees his face she grabs Booth's arm tightly.

"Daniel." She whispers in a shocked voice.

"I guess he's doing more than researching the Starlights." Booth whispers back.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

PART ONE

With Booth and Brennan watching, the ritual in the woods continues for some time with Daniel Harman at the centre of it all, the obvious leader of the Starlights. Brennan's hand does not move from Booth's arm as they continue to watch. After more chanting, three more robed people arrive dragging with them a deer. They take the deer to the centre of the circle and after even more chanting and some hand gesturing Daniel pulls out a very large knife. The circle closes in and neither Booth nor Brennan can see what Daniel actually does but they know the deer is being sacrificed. The muffled squeals from the animal let them know death is not slow. The chanting resumes then maybe half an hour later the group packs up. The three individuals who brought the deer drag it in the sheet out of the circle. The main group lift their torches out the ground and head back through the woods the same way they came. Booth and Brennan remain silent and do not move incase they are heard. Booth can hear Brennan's erratic breathing and he knows she must be feeling shocked over Daniel's involvement. When Booth is sure the Starlights have gone he turns to Brennan and gestures for her to follow him to the site.

Now standing in the area only minutes ago occupied by the cult, Booth and Brennan look for any evidence left behind.

"Are you okay Bones?" Booth asks.

"I'm fine." She replies quickly._ What a lie_.

"Given your history with Daniel it's alright to be upset." Booth says softly as he kicks about some dirt.

"I'm not upset." She replies angrily. "And that's exactly what Daniel is, he's history, in the past." She adds. Booth watches as she examines the ground in what they have worked out was the centre of the circle based on the holes in the ground from the torches. _This must be horrible for her_.

"No blood." She states. _Daniel is leading the Starlights?_

"Just like the Sheriff explained." Booth tells her. "They must dump the dead animals elsewhere to keep suspicion off them."

"The sheet must be to keep the blood from spilling into the ground here." Brennan decides. _They've been here three years. We were together three years ago. Those women weren't just girlfriends, they were followers._

"That makes sense." Booth agrees.

"We should try to find the car and get back to town." Brennan says. _I need space to think._

"It won't be easy Bones, we have no light." He reminds her.

"Fine, you stay here, I'll go find the car." She walks away from Booth with determination in every footstep. Booth sighs then jogs to catch up to her.

"Wait, I'm coming." He calls as he approaches.

Surprisingly, Brennan actually finds the SUV. To Booth it seems like spending the rest of the night out here just isn't an option for her. The ride back to town is an uncomfortable one as Brennan doesn't speak all the way back. She's too busy thinking about Daniel and the Starlights. _How did he turn?_ She wonders. Booth is a little concerned about her silence but he figures she's got a lot to think about so he doesn't push her. Brennan does however manage to tell him 'Good night' as she enters her room. Booth walks next door to his room and flops down on the bed. His head is all over the place. This case is so strange and now that someone Brennan knows is involved it is only going to get stranger.

PART TWO

When Booth comes down to breakfast in the morning he finds Brennan at the table surrounded by papers, her laptop and her cell opened on the table. She looks tired and pale and she has dark circles under her eyes. Booth surmises that she didn't sleep at all.

"Morning Bones." He greets her cautiously.

"Hey Booth." She replies. "I was just talking with Angela. We have confirmation of the identities of the victims." She tells him. Booth raises his eyebrows and sits down opposite her. "Our male victim is Andrew Davidson aged nineteen and our female victim is Tina Rossi, aged seventeen. We checked the dental records of the people on the missing persons listsyou faxed over." Brennan explains as she turns the laptop around and shows Booth the photographs of the dead teens. Booth shakes his head. He hates when young people's lives are taken from them.

"I'll make some calls. We should be able to locate their parents." Booth lowers his head but snaps it back up when Annie coughs from the door to the kitchen.

"I didn't mean to interrupt but did you say Andrew Davidson?" she asks sadly.

"You knew him?" Brennan asks.

"I knew his parents." Annie tells them. "Andrew and his family left Jamesville about four years ago. Andrew was always getting himself into trouble and they felt a change would be good for him. They moved a couple of towns over. I still get a Christmas card from them." She explains.

"Can you give us the address?" Booth asks. "We need to talk to them." Annie nods and walks across the room and next door to the reception room. She returns a minute later with an address scribbled on a piece of paper.

"I'll get packed up." Brennan says.

PART THREE

Booth knocks on the door of 1080 Willow Avenue and waits for an answer. A minute later a cheerful looking older blonde answers.

"Can I help you?" she asks.

"Mrs Davidson?" he asks.

"Yes, can I ask who you are and what I can do for you?" she asks politely.

"I'm Agent Booth with the FBI, this is my associate Dr Temperance Brennan." At the mention of the FBI Mrs Davison's face falls.

"This is about my Andrew isn't it?" she asks.

"Uh, may we come in?" Booth asks. Mrs Davidson nods and steps back to let them in.

"I'll get my husband." She tells them. "Please, have a seat in the den." She gestures towards the opening to their left. Booth leads the way and Brennan follows them in.

A few minutes later Mr and Mrs Davidson appear, both looking pale and sad.

"Tell me, is he… is my boy dead?" Mr Davidson asks.

"We're very sorry." Booth says. "We've positively identified Andrew's remains." Booth explains. Mrs Davidson begins to cry and she falls into her husbands arms. They fold into the couch opposite Booth and Brennan.

"I realise this is a shock but we need to ask you some questions about your son." Booth says. "How long has he been missing?" he asks.

"Andrew left home about eighteen months ago." Mr Davidson explains. "He'd always been troubled and we thought moving would help but things only got worse." He stops to comfort his wife who is now crying hysterically.

"The remains we found suggest he died approximately two months ago." Brennan tells them. "Do you have any idea where he might have been since he left?" Mrs Davidson sobs louder as Mr Davidson tries to comfort her.

"Our son sent us a letter about a year ago. He said he was living with people who understood him and this would be the last time we would hear from him." Mr Davidson tells Brennan.

"Do you still have the letter? I need to see it, along with other samples of his handwriting." She states. Booth looks over at her. As usual, Brennan isn't the most tactful.

"I don't know." Mr Davidson says. "What good would it do anyway?" he hugs his crying wife close to him.

"It might help us better understand what happened to Andrew." Booth says softly. "If you have kept it, we would appreciate if you could lend it to us. Of course we'll make sure it's returned." He adds.

"Give it to them Mark." Mrs Davidson sobs. Mr Davidson rises from the couch and walks into the next room. He rummages around and brings back several pieces of paper. He hands the papers to Booth who slips them into his pocket.

"If you think of anything else that might help, please call us." He hands Mr Davidson a card with his cell number on it. "We're doing everything we can to find out what happened and who is responsible." Booth tells them.

"Mr Davidson." Brennan says suddenly. "Did Andrew ever mention a girl by the name of Tina Rossi?"

"No." he shakes his head. "Who is she?" he asks.

"We believe she was killed at the same time as Andrew." Booth explains.

"Oh." Mr Davidson sighs.

"Thank you for your time." Booth adds as he guides Brennan to the front door. "Again, we're very sorry for your loss."

PART FOUR

Brennan stands on the porch looking out into the yard. The sun has set and the moon is rising higher in the sky. A cool breeze kicks up and sends shivers down Brennan's arms. She's thinking about the interview with the murdered boy's parents. It didn't go well. They were so devastated at their son's death that they couldn't be of much help, particularly Mrs Davidson. And of course her usual tactless approach wasn't ideal. _I just can't be like Booth when it comes to people._

"I've been looking for you." Booth appears behind her.

"Well here I am." Brennan replies.

"You thinking about the Davidson's?" he asks. Brennan tuns around to face Booth and nods.

"It didn't go very well." She states. Booth steps towards her.

"You're cold." He states. Brennan's eyes widen. _And I thought I was tactless!_

"I've been told that before Booth, do you have to make me feel worse." She sighs.

"No, I mean, you look cold." He shrugs off his jacket and steps up close. "Here, and don't go all feminist on me okay." He adds. The last time he offered her his coat she rejected him and pointed out that if she wanted his coat she would ask him for it. To Booth's surprise, Brennan allows him to drape his jacket around her shoulders. He remains in front of her and rubs some warmth into her arms.

"It wasn't that bad." He tells her.

"No?" Brennan replies. "She wouldn't stop crying." She reminds him.

"They were upset. People react differently. Some cry, some shout, some don't say a word." Booth tells her.

"Maybe but I'm sure I didn't help any." She lowers her head, feeling guilty for not being able to say or do anything to make them feel better. Booth reaches out and lifts her chin.

"Hey Bones." He says softly. "No one is perfect. Your abilities lie in other areas." He says. "Me, I'm the people person." He smiles.

"I know, you keep reminding me of that fact." She breaks a little smile.

"We'll figure all this out Bones." Booth says with confidence. "You and me, we're a good team."

"Yeah, a good team." Brennan echoes his words.

"And it stands to reason that maybe that winning combination would work in other areas?" He suggests.

"Booth, I get what you're saying, I do." _For once I understand_. "But I'm…" she breaks off, unable to finish her sentence. Instead she groans and rests her head against Booth's chest. He wraps his arms around her and kisses the top of her head.

"I know Bones. I know." He whispers. _It's a big step to take. I'm scared too_.

PART FIVE

Brennan barely sleeps again. Thoughts about and images of the case, Daniel and Booth flood her mind and she just can't switch off. The case troubles her. The Starlights obviously have no trouble killing animals but would they kill humans? Was Andrew a member of the Starlights? Just who is Tina Rossi and why were they killed? Brennan's stomach flip flops as shethinks abpout what she realised that night in the woods. She and Daniel split up two years ago. The Starlights have been in Jamesville for at least three years which confirms he was involved in this while they were together. But how did he get to that stage? Sure he was deeply involved in the psychological analysis of cults but how did he go from studying them to leading them? And Booth. She always goes back to Booth. He's made it very clear what he wants and a huge part of her wants that too. But there's still that bit inside of her that's scared. _I've been hurt in the past_. What if it doesn't work? What if we end up hating each other? Would we still be able to work together if it all ended? She tosses and turns and eventually she just gets up.

In his room Booth wakes when he hears movement through the wall. The clock tells him it's three in the morning. When he left Brennan she looked emotionally exhausted so he's surprised she's awake. He thought she would sleep through just being so tired. Obviously not. He lies on his back and listens to her moving around. The he hears the door and a moment later a quiet knock on his door. _Did I imagine that?_ He wonders. But then he hears it again.

Brennan stands outside Booth's door. She doesn't really know why she's here, she just knows that when she's with him she feels everything will be okay. She knocks on the door again, a little louder this time, and waits to see if he'll answer. He does a moment later.

"Bones?" he looks tired and a little confused as he scratches his stomach through the fabric of a black wife-beater.

"Did I wake you?" she asks. Booth just cocks his head to the side and raises his eyebrows expressing his thoughts of 'of course you did, it's the middle of the night'.

"You okay?" he asks as she stands nervously at his door in black sweats and a white vest.

"I can't sleep." She tells him. Booth smiles and steps back from the door, inviting her in. She hesitates a moment then steps inside, her arms wrapped around her chest. Booth closes the door and pads over to the bed. Brennan doesn't quite know what to do. She wants to just climb into bed with him and lie in his arms letting him comfort her. But will he let her and what will happen if she does? _I don't think I'm ready for that yet._

Booth gets back into bed and clasps his arms behind his head.

"What's on your mind?" he asks. Brennan is busying herself looking at the ornaments on the mantle. "Bones?" he pushes her for an answer.

"Everything." She says quietly. Her back is turned to him.

"You want to talk about it?" he asks. She turns around to face him and shrugs her shoulders. He stares at her trying to read what she's thinking. Brennan lowers her head, unable to look at him. "Okay, so mind if I ask why you knocked then?" Booth asks.

"I uh, I guess I didn't feel like being alone." She admits. Booth pats the bed beside him, inviting her to join him. Brennan stares at the spot on the bed, making her decision. She wants to go to him so badly but part of her wants to hold back, afraid to take a step forward. It takes a moment but she finally forces her feet to walk over to him. She slides into the bed but keeps a good two feet between her and Booth.

"Good night Bones." Booth smiles and settles himself down.

"Night Booth." Brennan slides down in the bed and pulls the sheet up around her.

PART SIX

Booth wakes with a weight on his chest that feels both familiar and new. When he opens his eyes and looks down he sees his arm is wrapped around Brennan and her head rests on his chest, her arm slung casually across his stomach. _She wasn't in this position when I went to sleep. _He smiles as he sees the content look on her face. This is probably the best sleep she's had in the last few days. The clock tells him it's just after six am. For only getting a few hours sleep Booth feels surprisingly refreshed. Perhaps that has something to do with the woman asleep in his arms. He knows he's going to have to wake her up soon but for now he's happy to just watch her and hold her. _She'll probably freak out when she wakes so I might as well make the most of it. __I don't often get this close to her._

In Brennan's dreams she hears a rhythmic noise. _Boom Boom, boom boom, boom boom, _over and over again. As her body wakes her and she blinks her eyes open she realises what that noise is. _Booth's heartbeat_. She wakes with a start and sits up, pulling herself off him and out of his arms.

"Morning." He grins cheerfully. Brennan looks mortified. "Sleep okay?" he asks.

"Fine, thanks." She replies as she hugs the sheet close to her as a barrier. "I'm sorry about…I didn't mean to…" she trails off.

"Don't worry about it Bones. I know I make a great pillow." He jokes. "I was thinking about Daniel." He says, changing the subject because he knows it will make her more comfortable. "He doesn't know that we know who he is."

"He doesn't does he?" They have only met him once, up at the site two days ago.

"We should arrange to speak to him." Booth suggests. "I know you two have history but…"

"It's fine Booth." Brennan pulls her knees up to her chest. "We need to find out what's going on." She slips out of bed and walks over to the door. "Uh Booth." she says as she pulls the door open.

"Yeah Bones?" he asks.

"Thanks for last night." she lets a little smile tug at her lips before she walks next door._ I don;t think I've had a better night's sleep_.

Brennan spends the next hour getting showered, dressed andwondering how she's going to contact Daniel. Since the Sheriff knows what the Starlights leader looks like Daniel wouldn't come into town to meet her and Brennan can hardly go up to the Starlight complex and ask for him. She picks up her cell and calls his old number. She doesn't really expect an answersince it's been two years but to her surprise she hears his voice at the other end of the phone.

"Hello?" he repeats when no one answers.

"It's Temperance." She states.

"Tempe, you are the last person I expected to call." He tells her.

"I was hoping we could meet up. Booth and I have some questions about the Starlights and since you've been studying them I thought you might be able to help." She asks. She hopes her voice doesn't betray her knowledge of his activities.

"You remembered my number." He smiles.

"Some things you don't forget." She sighs. "So can we meet?" she asks.

"Sure, as long as it's just you and me." Daniel tells her.

"Booth's the investigator here Daniel." She tells him. "He needs to be there."

"I don't like him." Daniel says. "I speak to you alone or not at all."

"Why?" Brennan presses. She isn't comfortable with the idea of meeting Daniel alone.

"I don't trust the FBI." Daniel explains. "Come on Tempe, it would give us a chance to talk about us as well." Brennan thinks about it. They have to speak to Daniel and not agreeing to this might scare him off.

"Fine." She sighs.

"Meet me at the truck stop just outside of town, in an hour."

Brennan goes to Booth's room to tell him about the meeting.

"Absolutely not. No way." He states.

"Booth." She sighs.

"You are not meeting him alone." Booth says firmly.

"He won't meet if you're there and besides, he isn't going to hurt me. He doesn't know we're onto him and we have history."

"No Bones. It's too dangerous." Booth insists. Brennan is a little angry that Booth doesn't think she can handle this.

"Fine, I won't go." She resigns.

"Good. We'll find another way to talk to him." He smiles. Brennan folds her arms across her chest and watches him walk through to the bathroom. "We missed breakfast. Do you want to go grab something in town?" he calls. There is silence from the main room and Booth steps out of the bathroom. Brennan is gone. His heart sinks when he looks on the dresser where his car keys were. They're gone too.

"Bones." Hegasps. He runs to his window and looks out. Brennan is behind the wheel of the SUV, backing out of the parking lot. Booth picks up his cell and calls her. She doesn't answer and he has no idea where she is meeting Daniel and no other transport to follow her.

"Damn it Bones." He shakes his head. All he can do now is wait for her to come back.

PART SEVEN

Brennan pulls the SUV into the parking lot of the truck stop Daniel directed her to. She turns off the engine and for a moment feels a little guilty and scared. _I ditched Booth_. She knows he won't be happy with her for doing this but right now this seems like the only way to get more information. _I hope nothing goes wrong_.

Taking a deep breath Brennan steps out the SUV and walks into the cafe at the truck stop. She sees Daniel is already there waiting for her.

"Daniel." she greets him as cooly as she did two days ago.

"I'm glad you came, and alone too." he had his people spy on her and they confirmed she came alone.

"I need to know what you know about the Starlights." she says. "A lot of people believe they're responsible for the murder of two teenagers." Brennan says.

"Human sacrifice is a very rare thing in cults Tempe." Daniel tells her. "Animal sacrifices are even becoming rare. Most cults don;t involve themselves in those kinds of activities these days."

"So you're saying from what you've observed, the Starlights have done neither?" Brennan looks for confirmation.

"I didn't say that." Daniel smiles.

"Which is it Daniel, human or animal?" Brennan presses.

"I've witnessed animal sacrifices." Daniel says. _No harm in telling her that. _"So are you seeing anyone?" he asks.

"Yes, no, well kind of." Brennan replies. "But I didn't come here to talk about that, I need to know more about the Starlights." she rushes to get away from the subject of relationships. _The last thing I want to do is talk to Daniel about Booth._

"How long have you been researching them?" Brennan asks. _I wonder what lie he'll spin._

"Six months off and on."

"Have you ever seen either of these two kids?" she places the photographs of Andrew and Tina on the table and watches Daniel intently.

"No, I haven't." He lies but Brennan saw the flash of recognition in his eyes when she showed himthe photos. He knew these kids. They were Starlights.

"Is there any chance the Starlights would talk to us?" Brennan asks.

"I doubt it, they like to keep to themselves." Daniel tells her.

"Have you ever spoken to them?" Brennan presses.

"I've had some interaction with them." he smiles. It sickens Brennan that he can sit here and lie like this to her. This is what he did for the eight months they were together. Lie. "Maybe I could talk to my contacts, get you a meeting." he says.

"That would help." Brennan says. "Agent Booth and I really need to find out what happened to those kids. For their families." she tells him. "They've lost their children, they deserve to know why." _I wonder if he feels guilty._ Brennan has already decided that Daniel knows a lot more about the murders of Andrew and Tina than he's letting on. She leans forward in the seat and moves closer to Daniel. "They deserve the truth." she states.

Daniel snakes his hand across the table and tries to take Brennan's hand but she pulls it back.

"No Daniel." she shakes her head and stands up. "I have to go, Booth is waiting for me." she tells him. "I'll be in touch about that meeting." she says.

"Sure thing Tempe." Daniel smiles. _I'll get you that meeting_ he laughs to himself. "Drive safe." he adds as Brennan makes her way to the door. She glances at her watch as she goes and sees she has been away for nearly two hours already. Booth is probably really pissed at her.

PART EIGHT

Brennan speeds down the highway back into Jamesville. It hasn't escaped her attention that a van has been following her for the last twnety miles. What is worrying her now though is it is getting a lot closer. As she accelerates the van matches her speed. She keeps a close eye on it in the rear view mirror but she isn't prepared for when the van runs into the back of her. the SUV wobbles as Brennan tries to keep control. The van pulls back for a little then rams the SUV again. Brennan is shunted forward with each hit and she is scard that the van is going to run her off the road.

Brennan passes the 'Welcome to Jamesville' sign and the van seems to slam on the breaks like the driver doesn't want to be seen in town. If they were trying to run her off the road they didn't but if they were trying to scare her they suceeded. Brennan heads for the Sunshine Lodge, her hands gripping the steering wheel to stop them shaking.

Booth is pacing the porch anxiously when Brennan pulls the SUV into the parking lot. Including driving time Brennan has been gone for just over two hours and Booth has been going spare worrying about her. He pounces as soon as she steps out of the car.

"What the hell were you doing!" he yells at her. "You put yourself in danger Bones!" he shouts. "Anything could have happened to you, did you even think about that?" he demands. His anger is not really directed at her, it's more him venting the worry and concern that has been building for hours.

"I apologise Booth." Brennan states. She walks from the car up the porch steps and brushes past Booth to take a seat on the swing seat in the corner. Both places his hands on his waist and hangs his head.

"Are you alright?" he asks, glancing sideways at her. "What happened with Daniel?"

"I'm fine." she replies. "But we might lose the deposit on the car. There's a little damage back there." she tells him. "I can't be positive but I think Daniel knows we're onto the Starlights." As she talks Booth walks down the steps to the car and around the back to see the damage. The SUV is scratched and dented.

"Did someone hit you?" Booth calls to Brennan.

"A van tried to run me off the road." she sighs as she stands up. "You want to go get some lunch?" she asks. Booth looks dumbfounded at how lightly she appears to be taking this.

"Bones, this is serious." he states as he walks over to meet her at the top of the steps.

"I know Booth." she sighs. "You don't have to go all macho protective guyon me okay." she sighs.

"Good, then maybe next time you'll listen to me." Booth says almsot under his breath.

"If I'd listened to you we never would have had it confirmed that the Starlights perform animal sacrificings." Brennan tells him. "It isn't a huge step to go from animal to human you know." she walks down the steps. "And Daniel mentioned getting us a meeting with the Starlights. He claims to have contacts who might be willing to meet." she raises her eyebrows.

"Let's talk about this over lunch." Booth suggests.

PART NINE

Booth and Brennan arrive back at the Sunshine Lodge after a long lazy lunch discussing the case.

"We should go talk to Tina Rossi's parents." Booth says. "Sheriff Underwood tracked them down for us."

"I'll just go change. I'll meet you here in five." she tells him.

Fifteen minutes later Booth is still waiting for Brennan to appear. He decides to go up and see what the hold up is.

Brennan jumps when she hears a knock at the door. She drops a piece of paper and hurries over. Booth is standing in the doorway looking a little ticked off.

"What's taking so long?" he asks.

"Sorry, I..." she turns and walks back into the room. "Uh I got distracted."

"By what?" Booth asks as he follows her into the room.

"By this." Brennan holds out the piece of paper. Booth reads the words and his face tells a story.

"Stop investigating or you will die." he reads aloud. "Bones, this is a direct threat."

"I know." she sits down on the bed. "Someone left it here while we were out. My guess is Daniel is trying to stop us digging any deeper because we'll find out the truth."

"Do you think he would hurt you?" Booth ask with a seriousness in his voice that Brennan doesn't hear often.

"The Daniel I used to know would never. But he's not the same guy anymore. He's different. He's dangerous."

"And you're in the danger zone." Booth adds.


	4. Chapter 4

_**This chapter is the bridge to the final chapter. Lots of fluff coming up because we all love it so much. Hope you enjoy**_

CHAPTER FOUR

PART ONE

Brennan sits alone in her room contemplating the letter she received earlier. She believes Daniel sent it. She also believes he ordered the van to follow and scare her. _It worked_ she thinks. _I am scared_. A knock at her door interrupts her thoughts. She slides off the bed, walks over and cautiously opens the door.

"Hey." She greets Booth.

"Hey, so Angela called me." He says. Brennan looks confused that Angela would call Booth. "She said your cell was switched off or out of range or something."

"I guess." Brennan shrugs. "What did she say?"

"Tool marks, on the bones." Booth states. "Confirmed as very sharp knives."

"Did Angela actually say 'very sharp knives?" Brennan asks.

"Come on Bones, you think I'd remember exactly what she said?" he flashes her that cheeky grin. "She's faxing the report over to the Sheriff. I thought we could go pick it up then grab some dinner?" he offers. He notes that Brennan looks tired but if she sits in here alone she'll just think about Daniel and the letter and that won't be good for her. _Besides, it might give us a chance to talk_ he thinks.

"I'm not really in the mood for going out Booth." She sighs.

"Sorry Bones, you don't have a choice here." He grabs her hand and pulls her out the door.

PART TWO

Both picks one of the two or three restaurants available for dinner. Brennan has picked up a little since leaving the Sunshine Lodge, mainly because of Angela's report. She has it laid out on the table and is examining the information.

"Can I take your order?" a young waitress asks. She looks like she's still in high school. Booth looks at Brennan and nods for her to order.

"Right, uh, I'll have the pasta." She states.

"Steak." Booth replies. He gives the girl details of exactly how he wants it cooked, not really expecting it to arrive in that way. Booth picks up his beer and takes a long drink. Brennan is nursing a glass of wine as she reads over the report.

"Bones, can we just for tonight, forget about the case." Booth says. "We can't do anything until the morning." He adds. Brennan looks up and meets his eyes. She notes that they look a little tired.

"Fine." She sighs as she gathers the pages of the report together and deposits them in a pile at the edge of the table. "What do you suggest we talk about instead?" she asks. _I know the answer_.

"I thought we could talk about what's going on." Booth suggests. "With us I mean." He adds as if there were some confusion about what he meant. Brennan's silence speaks volumes and Booth leans back in his chair.

"Bones, I don't know what to do about this."

"You don't have to do anything." She says quietly. Booth reaches across the table to cover her small hand with his. His thumb finds that sensitive spot between her thumb and forefinger and he begins to trace circles.

"We can't keep ignoring this." His voice is almost pleading. "I don't want to keep ignoring it." He stares into Brennan's eyes, trying to put his point across. She sighs and takes a very long drink from her wine glass. _She isn't pulling her hand away_ Booth realises.

"I know you want answers Booth." She sighs. "I just can't give them to you right now because I don't know them myself." She explains. Booth nods and lifts his hand back.

"I see." He nods. He signals the waitress to bring them more drinks and the two settle back to a very quiet dinner.

Outside in the cool night air Booth sees it is still quite early.

"I thought I might hit the local bar." Booth says. "See what the locals think about the Starlights." He adds. "You want to join me?" he asks. He can see Brennan making the decision in her head and he hopes his line about questioning the locals is enough to convince her to stay out with him for longer. He isn't ready to say goodnight just yet.

"Sure." She passes Booth the report which he stores in the inside pocket of his jacket. Side by side they walk to the bar which is on the corner of the street. Brennan keeps glancing up at Booth but his gaze remains fixed ahead and his shoulders are tense. _I've hurt him_ she realises._ If I don't work this out I might actually lose him_.

Booth and Brennan grab seats on the end of the bar and order some drinks. Some cheesy jukebox music is playing loudly and the drunken locals are throwing themselves around the dance floor like idiots. Booth finds it all very entertaining but Brennan looks like she's in hell.

Forty minutes later it's a different story. When Booth went to the bathroom Brennan found herself the centre of attention and she now sits with several drinks and a row of tequila shots to get through. As Booth makes his way back over to her he sees Brennan drink two tequila's in a row. She throws her head back and laughs at something a young guy, perhaps in his twenties, says to her.

"Hey Bones." He stands beside the young guy who is occupying his seat.

"Sorry, is this your seat man?" he asks. Booth nods and the young guy jumps up. He knows when to back off. Booth is both taller and bigger than him and it would do not good to get in a fight with him.

"If you want that dance." The young guy brushes his hand along Brennan's shoulders as he leaves. She laughs and knocks back another tequila.

"Getting in the party mood?" Booth asks as he orders a beer.

"Just getting to know the locals." She smiles. "Friendly." She adds, gesturing at the drinks. She pushes a tequila shot towards Booth and sets herself up with the lemon and salt. _What has got into her?_ Booth wonders. _Still she's approachable and not shutting me out._ He watches her lick the inside of her wrist and shake some salt onto it. He follows her lead and after toasting to long life, they drink the tequila and suck on the lemon. With a broad smile on her face, Brennan actually looks happy. _Why can't she be happy with me? _

Four hours and a hell of a lot of drinks later Booth decides they should head back to the Sunshine Lodge. All he had managed to get out the locals was that the Starlights avoid all contact with them and only come to town when they have to. Booth already knew that. It seems like the Starlights really don't want anyone to know anything about them.

Booth looks around for Brennan. He lost her to the local Doctor and a dance some time ago. He spots her in the corner chatting with him so he picks up his jacket and makes his way over to her.

"Hey Bones, time to go." He takes her arm and turns her around to face him.

"Already?" she asks. "I'm still having fun." She beams him a smile.

"Maybe a little too much." He smiles back. "Come on." He clasps her hand in his and pulls her gently towards the door. With her free hand she waves to the doctor and follows Booth outside.

Back at the Sunshine Lodge, Booth helps a drunken Brennan up the stairs and to her room. One inside she shuts the door and turns to face Booth.

"I have an answer for you." She says. Booth can see her glassy eyes and knows whatever she is going to say comes from the drink and not from her.

"Maybe you should tell me in the morning." He suggests.

"I want to tell you now." She walks towards him and rests her hands on his chest. She looks up into his eyes and for a moment Booth is tempted to just kiss her and get it over with. _She's drunk and you can't take advantage of that_ he reminds himself. So he simply slips his arms around her to keep her steady on her feet.

"Seely Booth, I want to." She hiccups. "To tell you that I think you are wonderful." She grins. "And special and I don't know what I'd do with you." She hiccups again. "I…she looks a little woozy. "I…" she doesn't get to finish her sentence. The tequila takes hold and she slumps against Booth, collapsing in his arms.

Booth can only laugh when Brennan passes out. But he reacts quickly and scoops her up into his arms, looking down at her peaceful face. He walks the few steps over to the bed and deposits her on the right side. Her head rolls to the side as it hits the pillow and she mumbles something incoherent before silence returns. Booth pulls off her boots and drapes the blanket over her. He then disappears to his room only to change out of his jeans and shirt. He doesn't want to leave her on her own in case she gets ill during the night and needs him.

Lying on the left side of the bed, Booth looks down at Brennan and a smile crosses his face. _She is incredibly beautiful._ His fingers run through her hair as he contemplates what she might have been about to say. _I love you? __I just want to be friends?_ It could have been anything. Weariness overcoming him, and Booth settles down to sleep, wondering what tomorrow will bring. _Maybe answers_.

PART THREE

When Brennan wakes to the sound of birds chirping she immediately knows she isn't alone. Lying on her side, she opens her eyes and sees his arm draped across her, pulling her into him. Her back is pressed into his chest and his head nuzzles near hers, his breathing tickling her neck. Whilst everything about this situation would normally make her panic, she feels a strange sense of peace being here like this. It feels right and it feels safe. So instead of pulling herself free from his arms, she settles back down and closes her eyes. _Who says I can't enjoy this_ she tells herself. Sleep comes easily to Brennan and not long after waking she drifts back into dreams.

Booth turns over onto his back and brings with him a weight. Without opening his eyes he knows that it is Brennan. She twists in her sleep to accommodate the new position and she soon makes herself comfortable. Much like the other night, she lies with her head resting in the crook between his arm and his chest. Booth sighs contently and wonders if this will ever be for real. Knowing it is early and not ready to let go of this moment, Booth keeps his eyes closed and allows sweet dreams of Brennan to enter his mind.

A few hours later when the sun has risen and the world is awake, Brennan opens her eyes again, fully awake this time. Booth appears to still be asleep. _Why wouldn't I want to wake like this every morning?_ She thinks. The warmth from his body is intoxicating and she doesn't want to move an inch.

"Morning." Booth greets her lazily. She lifts her head and meets his sleepy eyes.

"Morning." She replies. Booth is waiting for her to leap back like she did before but she doesn't move. She lies still and raises her hand to lie on his chest.

"I'm sorry about last night." She says.

"I think you enjoyed the local hospitality a bit too much." Booth smiles. "Do you feel okay?" he asks. Brennan does have that 'morning after' feeling in her stomach but other than that she's fine.

"I'm okay." She whispers. "Some things are a little blurry." She adds. _Like what I said to you. I don't remember much._ Instinctively, Booth leans over and kisses her forehead.

"We should catch up with the Sheriff. He's locating Tina Rossi's parents for us." Booth sighs. He can sense Brennan's reluctance to get up and he sees that as a good sign. She may not be ready to admit it but he knows now she does have some feelings for him. She wouldn't lie here like this if she didn't. _Patience is a virtue_ he tells himself.

PART FOUR

Sheriff Underwood located Tina Rossi's parents living nearby. He has arranged for them to come to town and meet with Booth and Brennan. The Sheriff waits for them outside his office. When they appear he waves to them. Booth reluctantly waves back to acknowledge him. He finds the Sheriff a little tiresome.

"Sheriff." He greets the older man.

"Agent Booth, Dr Brennan. Heard you two had a wild night at Mike's." he grins. Booth looks at Brennan who then looks at the Sheriff.

"Small town news sure travels fast." Booth mutters. "The Rossi's?" he asks.

"I have them in my office. I haven't told them anything except we need to speak to them about Tina." He says. "Figured I'd leave the rest to you." He nods and Booth leads the way into the office.

"Mr and Mrs Rossi." Booth steps towards the couple. They look fairly young.

"Agent Booth? I'm Peter." Mr Rossi steps forward and shakes Booth's hand. "This is my wife, Elizabeth."

"Thank you for coming." Booth says. "This is my partner Dr Temperance Brennan." Brennan steps forward and shakes the couple's hands. It feels weird because in about three minutes they're going to know the fate of their daughter.

"Sheriff Underwood told us you have news of Tina." Elizabeth says. Brennan recalls the meeting with the Davidsons' and she holds back, letting Booth take the lead.

"I'm very sorry to tell you that your daughters' body was found earlier this week." Booth says. "We believe she was killed two months ago."

"She's dead." Peter Rossi sighs. "My baby." He shakes his head.

"What happened to her?" Elizabeth Rossi asks desperately. Brennan notices how she clings to her husband. _It must be nice to have someone to lean on_.

"We're still trying to establish what happened but we have some ideas." Brennan states. "We could really use your help though."

"How?" Peter asks.

"Was Tina involved with the Starlights?" Booth asks.

"Damn Starlights." Peter says angrily. "They killed my daughter."

"What makes you say that?" Booth asks.

"She wanted out. She wrote to us, told us she was going to leave and come back to us." Elizabeth explains.

"You see Tina was a troubled teenager. She fought with us and felt that we didn't understand her. She met some guy on a trip to Washington D.C with school." Peter continues. Booth doesn't fail to notice the shocked look on Brennan's face. _She's wondering if Tina met Daniel_.

"She was only fifteen but she turned sixteen a few weeks after she came back. She left home a week or so after that." Peter explains. "She wrote, told us she was living with a group called the Starlights and they understood her and were helping her become who she was meant to be."

"We called the police but they couldn't help. Tina left voluntarily and although she was sixteen they couldn't force her back even if they found her." Elizabeth sobs.

"You said she was going to come home?" Brennan asks.

"She wrote to us a little over two months ago." Peter tells Brennan. "She said she had learned the truth and she needed to come home. She was going to bring a friend with her, someone else who was with the Starlights and wanted out."

"Andrew." Booth sighs.

"Yes, Andrew." Elizabeth seems surprised.

"Tina was found with a boy we identified as Andrew Davidson." Brennan explains.

"She never came home. We thought she changed her mind but…" Elizabeth trails off.

"They killed our baby." Peter looks into Booth's eyes. "Please, don't let them get away with it."

"I won't." Booth replies.

PART FIVE

Following the interview with the Rossi's, Brennan heads back to her makeshift lab at the doctors office. She needs to take a closer look at Angela's report and the cuts on the bones. Knowing she needs space to work, Booth leaves her to work and stays with the Sheriff. They are going to see if it will be possible to get a warrant for the Starlight complex. If they can it may not be necessary for Brennan to speak to Daniel again.

Brennan puts the pieces together and the results horrify her. The Starlights sliced into these two kids repeatedly and all the way to the bone. Some of the marks indicate that flesh was cut off and Brennan hopes to god this isn't another case of cannibalism. Finding that in Aurora was bad enough. _Did the Starlights kill Andrew and Tina because they wanted to leave?_ She contemplates the options. Only then does she realise she's doing what Booth does. She's creating possibilities based on minimal evidence. _He has too much influence on me_ she smiles to herself.

As she works awayshe hears her cell ring.

"Brennan." She answers, expecting it to be Booth or Angela.

"Hey Tempe." Daniel says.

"Daniel, hi." Her voice betrays her surprise.

"I have good news." He says. "I spoke to my contacts and they're happy to meet with you and your Agent Booth." He tells her.

"I'm a little surprised." Brennan says.

"So am I." Daniel replies. "I'll pick you up in an hour?" he offers.

"I need to call Booth. I'll call back, let you know where to meet us." She says hastily. As soon as Daniel has hung up she hits speed dial 2 for Booth.

"Booth." He replies.

"It's me." She says. "Daniel just called."

"What did he want?" Booth asks, his voice hard.

"He's arranged a meeting." She tells Booth.

"With himself?" Booth says sarcastically.

"He wants to know if we can meet him in an hour so he can take us to the Starlights willing to talk."

"A likely story." Booth replies. "Have him meet us at the Sunshine Lodge. We can be prepared for him there." Booth tells her.

When Brennan gets off the phone with Booth she calls Daniel back.

"We'll be ready in an hour at the Sunshine Lodge." She tells him.

"Good, good." Daniel says. "We can clear everything up once and for all.

PART SIX

Brennan paces her room anxiously waiting for Booth. He promised to be here ten minutes ago. When he knocks on her door she yanks it open.

"Where have you been?" she asks. _I don't want to face Daniel alone_ she thinks.

"I'm sorry, I got held up with the Sheriff." Booth says. "No sign of Daniel?" Brennan shakes her head.

"Shouldn't be long though." She looks at her watch. Booth moves from her side when he hears a car pull up outside.

"He's here." Booth notices how Brennan tenses up. She begins to pace anxiously, only stopping when there is a knock at the door. Booth goes to answer and Brennan immediately senses something is wrong. When Booth steps back he is gripping his arm, a glassy look in his eyes.

"Booth!" she gasps as he staggers back into the room. He falls down at her feet by the bed, his eyes barely staying open. His body has gone limp and he cannot move. Daniel walks in behind him with four men.

"What did you do?" Brennan demands as she crouches by Booth's side. Her hand strokes his face, panic building up inside her. _Is he dying? Please don't leave me._

"You didn't think I'd let him tag along did you?" Daniel laughs. "Come on Tempe." Two of the men move to Brennan and grab her arms. She fights back, kicking her legs and shouting wildly. The lamp gets knocked over as does the chair. The other two men move in and grab her legs, lifting her up so she cannot move. Daniel takes a large needle and stabs it into her arm. Brennan feels a cool liquid entering her veins. Her body relaxes and her eyes drift closed as Daniel and his followers carry her from the room. Her last thoughts are of Booth and whether he's alive or dead and if he is alive whether she'll ever see him again.

When Booth opens his eyes he has a thumping headache and his body feels alien to him. After a few moments he remembers what happened and he looks around the fuzzy room. A chair is lying on the floor next to him and the lamp is broken in the corner. Outside the day has turned to night.

"Bones." He gasps. "Bones." He lifts himself off the carpet on onto his hands and knees and shakes his head, trying to clear his vision. She isn't anywhere in sight and a panic rises in him he hasn't felt since that night he realised Tessa was behind the attempts on Brennan's life. Staggering to his feet, Booth braces himself on the edge of the dresser. _She's gone. Daniel has her._

_**Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter than what you might be used to. I was speeding along with the story and this seemed like the ideal point to end this chapter. I'm working hard on the last chapter which will bring everything together. Keep reading and reviewing. P.S I'm so happy you all seem to like my stuff. **_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Here is the concluding chapter. I hope it satisfies everyone. It's been a blast writing this story and I'm thrilled with all the positive reviews. Enjoy!**_

CHAPTER FIVE

PART ONE

Brennan wakes with a throbbing head and shivering from top to bottom. She quickly learns that her wrists have been bound by something and when she blinks open her stinging eyes she realises it is duct tape. She winces as the tape rubs against her skin, irritating it. She lies on a cold damp concrete floor and with the darkness and her blurred vision she can see nothing but the feint glow of a candle at the far end of whatever room she is in.

W_here am I? _She wonders. _Where's Booth?_ She recalls Daniel arriving at the Sunshine Lodge and Booth being injected with something. She begins to hyperventilate when she realises that she doesn't know where Booth is or if he's alive. _Breathe Brennan, just breath_ she tells herself. It works and after a minute she has regained control. Brennan then assesses the rest of her body and discovers it is only her wrists that are bound. She doesn't appear to have any other injuries, which is a relief but at the same time she's still in a very dangerous situation. As she pulls herself up off the floor into a seated position she hears a thud and a crack of light appears at the far end of the room. Her eyes narrow as light flood into the room and a dark figure walks towards her.

"Hello Temperance."

PART TWO

The swirling darkness begins to fade as Booth wakes. He quickly establishes he is lying on the floor of a room in the Sunshine Lodge. He drags his eyes open and through blurred vision he sees a chair on its side and a smashed lamp by the bed.

"Bones." He mumbles as he pulls himself together. "Bones." He sits up and drags himself to his feet, using the bed to keep steady.

As his vision clears up he sees that day has turned to night and Brennan is definitely not here with him.

"Bones." He calls louder hoping for a reply. But he knows deep inside she is gone. _She's gone. Daniel has her_

PART THREE 

Brennan scuttles backwards as Daniel sweeps his way over to her.

"Daniel?" Brennan tries to focus on his face.

"I am not Daniel." He announces. "I am Gabe, leader of the Starlights." He takes another step closer to her.

"Where's Booth?" she asks. _I need to know._

"I don't care about him, he's pointless." Daniel growls. "You shouldn't have ignored my warnings Tempe." He says.

"If you ever knew me Daniel you would know I don't give up so easily." She croaks. She makes the mistake of calling him Daniel and angered by this, he strides the last couple of steps to her side and smacks her across the face. Brennan falls into the wall, wincing as her shoulder meets the concrete.

"Tough little cookie aren't you." An evil laugh escapes his lips. "That's going to make tonight's ceremony all the more difficult…for you." He laughs again as he backs towards the door.

"What are you talking about?" Brennan shouts as he walks to the door.

"You won't have to wait long to find out." Daniel says as he closes the door on Brennan, thrusting her once more into darkness.

PART FOUR

Sheriff Underwood looks around Brennan's room as Booth sits in the chair, his head hung and two fingers pinching his nose.

"Are you sure I can't call the Doc for you Agent Booth?" Sheriff Underwood asks.

"I'm fine." Booth growls. "We need to get up there and find her. He took her." Booth grunts in frustration. The sedative he was injected with isn't wearing off quickly enough for his liking.

"We can't just go barging in up there." Sheriff Underwood replies. Booth jumps to his feet.

"Fine, I'll go alone if you won't help." He reaches for his jacket but a strong hand on his shoulder stops him.

"I didn't say we wouldn't help. We just need to do it the right way. I've called in all my officers and Deputy Anderson is going to get the warrant signed while we drive up." Sheriff Underwood explains.

"Thank you." Booth sighs. _I have to help her. She needs me. I can't lose her._

PART FIVE

Brennan has been feeling her way around the room trying to establish where she is. She figures with no windows or fresh air coming in she must be in some kind of basement, probably under the Starlight complex. There is no way out the room except the locked door at the far end. Next, Brennan tries to get the tape off her wrists. It isn't easy and she has barely managed to loosen it when she hears footsteps. _He's back _she gasps.

Again the door creaks open but this time there are two strange men in robes standing in the doorway.

"It's time." One of them says as he steps forward. Brennan backs into the corner, trying to put off the inevitable. As the men advance upon her Brennan tries to shrink back. _I need you Booth. Where are you?_ As the two men reach out for her Brennan's fight or flight instinct takes over and she struggles back. With her wrists bound though she makes little impact and the men are able to grab her and hold onto her. As they pull her towards the door Brennan screams and kicks but it does her no good. She is dragged up the stairs and into the Starlight complex.

After being dragged through a maze of halls, Brennan is taken out a door and into the dark of night. In the distance she can hear the same chanting she and Booth heard a couple of nights ago. There is no doubt in her mind what is going to happen next and she's terrified.

PART SIX

Sheriff Underwood skids the truck to a stop as close to the Starlight complex as he can get. The other deputies and officers are right behind him and with Booth, now feeling much better; they make their way to the complex.

They approach from all sides, guns drawn. Booth kicks the front door down and enters, all the time shouting for Bones. The place seems deserted.

"I'll check down here." Booth shouts when he finds a door leading down to some steps. He cautiously makes his way down but his stomach drops when he finds the room empty. Shining his flashlight around Booth catches sight of something on the floor at the far end. He walks over and crouches down. He picks up a white button and knows immediately that Brennan was here. He turns and runs back up the stairs to meet the Sheriff.

"She was here." He shows him the button. "They've gone into the woods." He realises that Brennan is in serious danger and he has to get to her.

"Let's roll." Sheriff Underwood calls his men.

PART SEVEN

Brennan can see the Starlights in the distance, gathered in a circle. She doesn't have much of a chance to get away so she knows she has to do it now. She immediately relaxes, gathering her strength.

"So you've given in to fate then." One of the men laughs. "About time." The two men laugh as they drag Brennan. After a minute she takes a deep breath and with all her strength she kicks out. She manages to get one of the guys in a very sensitive area and he drops his grip on her, falling to the ground. Brennan then uses the power of her two arms bound together to smack the other guy across the face. He stumbles and falls, letting her go.

Barely taking time to find her feet, Brennan takes off into the dark of the night, running in the opposite direction from the Starlights gathering. In the dark she has trouble seeing where she is going and she falls several times. Without the full use of her arms to help she picks up several cuts and bruises. But the need to get as far away from the Starlights as possible drives her onwards. As she runs all she can think about is Booth. _I need him_ she thinks. _Since when did I need a big strong man to help me?_ _I don't care anymore, I need him_.

PART EIGHT

Booth, Sheriff Underwood and all his men take off into the woods. They head for where they hear chanting. The noise they make, however, alerts the Starlights' to their presence and they scatter as the law approaches.

Booth sets his sights on Daniel who is easily picked out by the different coloured robe he is wearing. As Booth advances, Daniel makes a run for it. But determination to rescue Brennan drives Booth forward and he lunges at Daniel, pinning him against a tree.

"Where is she?" he demands through gritted teeth.

"I don't know." Daniel replies. Booth doesn't like this answer and he pulls his arm back, letting loose a heavy punch to Daniel's face.

"Where is she?" he demands again. Daniel doesn't even answer this time and this enrages Booth. He smacks him two or three times against the tree.

"If you've hurt her I will kill you." He threatens. He then punches Daniel again and practically throws him to the ground for the Sheriff to deal with. Booth looks around and realises that Brennan has to be out here somewhere. He takes off into the dark leaving the Sheriff to take care of the Starlights.

PART NINE

Brennan hears footsteps and she sees the distant glow of a flashlight. _They're coming for me_ she panics. Stepping carefully she stands behind a large tree, concealing herself from whoever is out there. As the flashlight moves she slides around the tree. She takes a couple more steps trying to avoid being seen when her back collides with someone. In the dark and in her panic she lets out a scream. A hand clamps over her mouth and she tries to fight her way free from the arms wrapped around her. Her heart is racing and she can't breathe until her captor whispers in her ear.

"It's me."

Brennan instantly relaxes and the arms around her loosen so she can turn around. Standing there with an anxious face is Booth. The one person she wanted to be here is here. _He's here and I'm safe_. All the emotion inside her is ready to burst out and she feels the tears burning behind her eyes.

"It's okay, you're okay." Booth whispers. Brennan lifts her bound wrists up and slips them over Booth's head so they come to a rest at the back of his neck. _I need him to hold me_. Booth pulls her in close and Brennan collapses against him, the tears falling. He strokes her hair and whispers over and over that everything is okay.

"You're safe Bones. I'll take care of you." He adds.

PART TEN

Brennan stands shivering in the middle of her room at the lodge with her arms wrapped around her chest. Fresh bandages are taped to her wrists where the duct tape caused some bleeding and irritation. The local Doctor told her she would be fine. Daniel is in jail and has confessed to killing Andrew Davidson and Tina Rossi. Sheriff Underwood will be interviewing him in the morning when Daniel's lawyer arrives. Hopefully then they'll get the full story.

As she stands motionless in the room, Brennan realises her clothes are still damp from the light rain in the woods and she should get changed. But when she tries to undo the buttons of the shirt she is wearing over a vest, her fingers are too cold and are shaking too much to do it. Booth appears from the bathroom door where he had been washing up and he walks over to her. She looks so vulnerable. He isn't used to seeing her like this and he's sure she isn't used to showing this side of her.

Booth closes his hands over Brennan's and pulls them away from her shirt. He can feel how cold they are and he lifts them to his face and breathes his warm air onto them.

"Let me." He whispers as he lowers her hands. They lock eyes and Brennan sees his concern for her. She lowers her head and allows him to undo the buttons and take her shirt off. But now wearing just a vest top she is even colder. Booth rubs her arms to get some warmth into her.

"You okay Bones?" he asks. She nods. Her eyes are glassy and Booth isn't sure if that's from the cold or if she's going to cry. His hand reaches out and cups her face, his thumb stroking her cheek in the most caring gesture Brennan has ever known. She closes her eyes and mixes this moment together with the memory of when he did this at his house the night he was attacked.

"I thought I was going to lose you." He tells her softly. Her eyes open and lock with his again. She feels her heart pounding as he leans in closer to her. Brennan knows what he's going to do and while a part of her wants to run, a bigger part wants to stay. Booth dips his head down and very slowly he brushes his lips across Brennan's, so softly she wonders whether it happened at all when he pulls back.

"Booth…" she whispers, about to protest. But Booth doesn't give her time to say or think anything else. He leans in again, this time capturing her lips with his and applying more pressure. Brennan moans softly and her arms slide up and around his neck, pulling him closer. She feels like there are a thousand butterflies fluttering in her stomach and her heart is beating faster than she's ever known it to. Booth's arms slide around to her back and he pulls her in to him so their bodies are pressed together. He deepens the kiss and brings one hand up to cradle the back of her head.

Eventually breaking the kiss, Booth and Brennan pull back but they remain in each others' arms. Booth can see panic rising in Brennan's eyes and he's afraid she's going to run. He strokes her hair softly.

"Don't run from this." He whispers. "Please." Brennan feels her hands shaking and she leans forward to rest her head on Booth's chest, her hands gripping the fabric of his shirt. Booth wraps his arms tightly around Brennan and just holds her as they both process the leap they've taken. Whatever happens from now, their relationship has been forever changed.

PART ELEVEN

Brennan picks up the phone and calls the only person in the world she trusts to talk to about this. Booth has gone for food and drinks giving Brennan time alone to think.

"Angela, it's me." She says when her friend answers.

"I was just thinking about you sweetie." Angela replies.

"Are you busy? I need to talk to you." Brennan says.

"You sound serious. Did something happen?" Angela asks with worry in her voice.

"You could say that." Brennan replies. She doesn't need to tell Angela about her ordeal with the Starlights. What she needs to talk about is Booth.

"Sweetie, tell me." Angela is curious. Brennan's silence has Angela twisted in knots. "Tempe, what's wrong?" she presses her friend.

"It's Booth." Brennan finally says.

"Is he alright, did he get hurt?" Angela asks.

"No, no nothing like that." Brennan quickly answers. "I…well we…" she can't think how to phrase this.

"Oh my God." Angela beams widely on her end of the phone. "Oh my God sweetie, he kissed you didn't he?" she asks like an excited child.

"Yes." Brennan almost whispers.

"And?" Angela asks.

"I'm confused." Brennan tells her.

"What's to be confused about?" Angela asks. "I've been telling you for so long that he likes you and you _know_ you like him too."

"But I'm worried about what will happen if we do this." Brennan says.

"Stop worrying and thinking and just do it." Angela tells her. "He's a good man Tempe. He'll treat you right and you are so good together." Angela waffles. Brennan rises from her position on the bed as Angela recounts her and Booth's past and all the good things that will come from being in a relationship with him. She doesn't hear Booth come in the room until he is behind her. He cheekily grabs the phone.

"Hey Angela." He smiles. "I hate to interrupt but Bones and I…" Angela cuts him off.

"Oh don't mind me sweetie." She says. "I know exactly what you two need. Just have Tempe call me later."

"Bye Angela." Booth closes the phone ending the call.

"I knew I shouldn't have left you alone." He smiles at Brennan who is now facing him. He places the beer and pizza down on the bed and takes her hands in his. He leans down and kisses her gently, their hands linked at their sides. Brennan finds herself responding but she pulls back before she lets it go too deep.

"We need to talk." She says.

"Okay." Booth steps back. _I knew this would happen_. Brennan walks around him and sits on the end of the bed. Booth joins her.

"What just happened." She starts. "It was…well I think we both know what it was." Her voice is soft.

"I know I do." Booth sighs. "Bones, if you're going to tell me it's not a good idea, please don't." he sounds upset.

"Booth, I…" Brennan is lost for how to explain herself.

"I thought we were finally on the same page." Booth states. "I guess I'm alone in that." He rises from the bed and walks towards the door. Brennan wants desperately to stop him but she can't seem to get herself to move. "I'm sorry if I upset you." He says sadly as he walks out into the hall. Brennan is itching to jump up and run after him but something is holding her back. Instead, as the door closes behind him she starts to cry. _Why?_

Booth is about to go into his room when he decides he needs some fresh air. So instead he heads downstairs and out the front door to the porch. He spots the swing seat and sits down, stretching his arm across the back. Pushing the swing back and forth he swings gently as the night breeze ruffles his hair.

_I should have known she would do this_ he says to himself. His heart is aching because he got so close to getting what he's wanted for months but she pulled back, probably afraid. _I can't blame her really_ he thinks. A relationship between them might complicate their work. They are both very career focused and Booth knows he'd hate for anything to happen to screw that up. But his feelings for Brennan are so strong he doesn't think he can put them aside any longer. Not following through with this might cause them more problems. Booth leans his head back and closes his eyes. _I just want to be with her_.

Up in her room Brennan pulls herself together. _Maybe this is for the best_ she thinks. Brennan and Booth in a relationship could be dangerous. _But I need him around. I don't want to lose him_. She has gotten so used to Booth coming to see her, working cases with him and even just hanging out at Sid's after work with him. If she rejects him now she could lose their friendship. _I'm so confused_.

PART TWELVE

When Booth checks out of the Sunshine Lodge in the morning he finds Brennan sitting on the steps out front ready to go. She looks tired, like she didn't sleep. He didn't sleep much either for thinking about what happened. She looks up when he walks down the steps beside her.

"You ready Bones?" he asks. His voice sounds despondent and Brennan feels incredibly guilty. She nods and rises to her feet, following him to the car silently. In all the time she has known Booth she has never experienced such discomfort in being around him. There is no sexual tension. There is only hurt and rejection. _And I'm the cause of it. _

The interview with the Daniel is difficult. Brennan doesn't want to face Daniel but she has to know the truth. As she stands behind the glass window she desperately wants Booth to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything will be fine. But that isn't going to happen. She rejected him despite every bone in her body telling her not too. Now they stand five feet apart but it feels like miles. He is silent and broody and she knows it's because of her.

Brennan's face hardens as Daniel explains what happened. Now that he's caught he is admitting to everything. It apparently started out as a research project but the power Daniel was able to wield over these people became intoxicating and he got carried away. His followers urged him to be true to the faith he preached and that's when the animal sacrifices started. Andrew and Tina were killed because Andrew discovered who Daniel really was and confided in Tina. They wanted to leave but Daniel didn't want to risk the rest of the Starlights finding out so he told the Starlights that Andrew and Tina were non believers and the Starlights took care of them. He denies having anything to do with their actual murders but he did help dispose of the bodies hoping they would never be discovered.

Brennan is sickened by his tale and she has to get out. She leaves the Sheriff's office and steps into the fresh air, inhaling deeply. The trauma of what happened last night is still fresh in her mind, as is what happened with Booth. She's afraid she's ruined things for good.

"Our flight is in a couple of hours, we should go." Booth says behind her. Startled, Brennan spins around.

"Okay." She whispers. Booth jogs down the steps and past her to the car. He gets in and turns on the engine waiting for her. She walks over and climbs in. Booth puts the car in gear and heads for the highway.

The car ride back to the airport is in silence. Brennan looks out the window, afraid to looks at Booth while he concentrates intensely on the road ahead. _The sooner we get back to D.C the better_ he thinks.

PART THIRTEEN

Brennan arrives back at her house and dumps her bags in her bedroom. For the next couple of hours she changes between pacing the floor and sitting down nervously twisting her hands together. _I need to talk to him_ she thinks. _I need to sort this out once and for all._ She grabs her car keys and leaves the house without a second thought.

The ride over to Booth's goes quickly. Brennan's mind is filled with thoughts of what to say. But when she gets there and parks outside she can't bring herself to go in. She sits in the car for fifteen minutes before finally getting out. But even once out of the car she can't walk up the drive. She stands by her car leaning on the bonnet watching the house. _I don't know how to do this_.

Inside Booth peeks out the window. _She's still there_. He noticed her car arriving twenty minutes ago but she hasn't made a move towards the house. Part of him is excited. He wonders if she's changed her mind. The other bigger part thinks she's just here to clear things up and get things back to normal. Finally he can't take the waiting any longer. He walks to his front door and pulls it open.

Brennan looks up when she hears the front door creak open. Booth appears in jeans and a T-shirt with his hands shoved into his jeans pockets, his shoulders hunched slightly. He doesn't say anything he just stands there looking at her with that puppy dog face she can't resist. _She has to come to me_. Brennan pushes herself off the bonnet of her car and in this moment everything becomes crystal clear. Booth has a little smile on his face; the smile that says 'everything will be fine, trust me.' She does trust him and she needs him in her life. She starts to walk towards him, slowly at first, but her steps get quicker as she gets closer to him. Booth's hands pull out of his pockets and he stands up straight as she hurries towards him.

Brennan runs the last few steps to him and throws her arms around his neck. Their lips meet in an explosion of passion. Booth wraps his arms around her and lifts her into his home. He kicks the door closed with his foot and sets her down in the hall. Their kiss lasts a few moments more before Brennan pulls back and finds his eyes.

"I've been an idiot." She tells him. He shrugs and flashes a cheeky grin. "We _are_ on the same page and I want this more than anything." She finally admits. "I was just scared of what was going to happen."

"I'm scared too Bones." He tells her. His fingers run through her hair and his lips hover millimetres from hers as he talks, his breath tickling her. "But I know this is right." He whispers. "We'll make it work." He assures her. He leans in and captures her lips again, his arms pulling her close to him, never wanting to let her go. This is where they should have been all along. Together.


End file.
